Love Takes Time
by Amaratta
Summary: For some, it only takes one single moment to fall in love. For them, it'd probably take much longer for love to grow. A collection of ByaIchi vignettes featuring how they built their relationship up from scratch. Slash. Complete.
1. Summer, Wind Chime and Gratitude

**Disclaimer:** Based on concepts and characters created by Kubo Tite for his serialized manga, _Bleach_.  
><strong>Warning:<strong> The story contains mild homoerotic contents and minor coarse languages. Rating may go up should circumstance dictate. Please read with discretion.  
><strong>AN:** It's been four years since the last time I wrote a ByaIchi story, so I hope I haven't lost too much touch and made them too OOC. This story is planned as a series of vignettes that may or may not connect with one another. I'm not following any prompts, so basically I write whatever inspires me. Therefore, I can't guarantee a regular update. Feedback is appreciated and requests are welcome.

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><p><em>1: Summer, Wind Chime and Gratitude<em>

The weather had been ridiculously hot in Soul Society since summer started, and it didn't help much that the Kuchiki Manor was built in a completely traditional fashion so it didn't have any air-conditioners in the premises. Kuchiki Byakuya was relying on breezes that would occasionally blow past the small river near his bedroom to cool the room. Even then, the heat was still unbearable that Byakuya opted to don a thin teal cotton yukata and tied his hair back in a loose ponytail instead of dressing in his usual fashion that would require more pieces of clothes.

Despite the heat, Byakuya still couldn't help thinking that hell had finally been frozen over when the old butler came to his respective room and interrupted him while he was in the middle of writing a reply to an invitation to a birthday party of some nobleman.

"Forgive my interruption, Byakuya-sama, but Kurosaki Ichigo-dono is in the living room, requesting your audience."

Byakuya looked up from the paper he was writing. Although he had been notified about Kurosaki Ichigo's arrival since the Substitute Shinigami stepped into Seireitei the day before, he couldn't think of one good reason for the boy to come to see him. They might have known each other for over two years, but they had never really been on good terms with one another. After all, they didn't start off on the right foot, and their personalities clashed most of the time. The only reason why their paths kept crossing that often was because Ichigo happened to be a close friend of Byakuya's adopted sister, Rukia.

"Are you certain that he asked to see me, not Rukia?"

Lord Kuchiki asked simply to make sure that the butler didn't mistake Ichigo's intention, since it would make much more sense if the boy was there to see Rukia and simply ask about him out of some misplaced courtesy.

"I am most certain, Byakuya-sama," the butler replied.

Byakuya nodded and directed his slate eyes back to the paper he was writing.

"In that case, let him know that I shall see him in a few minutes," Byakuya remarked. "And also bring some cold barley tea to the living room."

"Yes, Byakuya-sama," the butler said before he bowed and left to do the tasks that Byakuya had ordered him to.

After the butler left, Byakuya took his time to finish his writing and then clean the ink brush he had used. For a moment, he considered changing his attire, since he had no doubt that the insolent Substitute Shinigami would have a comment or two about his casual wear. However, Byakuya decided against the idea, since he didn't want to change into new clothes unless he took a bath first. Therefore, Byakuya simply adjusted his yukata to make sure that everything was in the right place before headed out to where his unexpected visitor was.

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><p>When he arrived to the living room, Byakuya could see Kurosaki Ichigo sitting on a red cushion that was laid down for him on the tatami-matted floor. The Substitute Shinigami was taking a sip from a big glass of cold barley tea and not paying much attention to the direction of the open shoji door, so he didn't notice Byakuya's arrival until after the noble stepped into the room.<p>

"My butler said you asked to see me."

"Oh, hi, Byakuya," Ichigo said, putting the glass in his hand down and turning his head towards the door. Although he didn't exactly smile, Byakuya could still sense that the teen was in a good mood.

Ichigo would have risen from his seat if Byakuya hadn't made a gesture with his hand to tell him not to bother and then walked into the room and seated himself on another cushion that had been laid in that room. Only then did Ichigo realize it was the first time he saw Byakuya in something other than the Shinigami uniform he was used to seeing the man in and that Byakuya was wearing his ebony hair in a loose ponytail.

"You know, if I saw you somewhere else, I probably wouldn't recognize you. I mean, you look—" Ichigo paused for a moment to search for a word that would describe how he felt about Byakuya's current look without having to get reacquainted with Senbonzakura, "—different."

Since he had already expected Ichigo to make some kind of comment, Byakuya wasn't really surprised when Ichigo did. Thus, he simply arched an eyebrow as if to ask Ichigo to elaborate how different.

"Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that you look bad," Ichigo quickly explained. He would have added that he thought it was quite the contrary if he didn't think that it was weird for him to describe another man as beautiful or that Byakuya would appreciate that kind of comment. "I'm just not used to seeing you in casual wears, I guess."

"Today is my day off, and I didn't plan to receive any guest, so I don't have any reason to don formal attires," the nobleman noted.

Byakuya's words reminded Ichigo that he went there uninvited, and that he shouldn't get too cozy with the nobleman. Byakuya might have viewed him with a little less disdain than he had in the past and aided him in a couple of battles, but that didn't mean that they were on a friendly term.

"Ah, right, since you mention that, I should apologize for coming here all of a sudden."

Byakuya accepted Ichigo's apology with a nod. When he thought about it carefully, he should be grateful that Ichigo chose to come in through the front door and request for his audience when the boy could have just jumped over the wall and then caught him by surprise. Perhaps Kurosaki Ichigo had learned some manners during those seventeen months that he didn't have his Shinigami power.

The thought brought a flash of amusement to Byakuya's slate-gray eyes.

"It is fine. I wasn't doing anything important," said the noble. "Still, I suppose I must ask why you requested for my presence. After all, I doubt you are here just to socialize."

Ichigo felt like slapping himself upside the head. He wasn't sure if it was his nerve or something else that kept him from stating his business right away. After all, it wasn't as if he wished to prolong their meeting.

"Right, about that," Ichigo began, "you know how I still haven't thanked everyone properly for helping me regain my power and aiding me in the fight against the Xcution and such."

Byakuya arched an eyebrow slightly.

"I was under the impression that you had already done so since your previous visit to Soul Society."

"No, no, I haven't," Ichigo said, shaking his head. "The last time I was in Soul Society, I was too focused on getting Ginjō's corpse back to the living world that I forgot."

"I see," Byakuya nodded. "I still don't understand why you wish to see me, however."

Ichigo scowled. He didn't think Byakuya was so dense that he wouldn't to understand his implication, so he wasn't sure if the nobleman was trying to annoy him or simply didn't feel like taking any credits.

"Because you're one of the people I need to say thanks to," Ichigo replied before he dug into the fold of his kimono and brought out a small brown carton and said, "I even bought you a gift."

Byakuya glanced at the box for a second, noting how it was not wrapped despite Ichigo saying that it was meant to be a gift. However, he was not going to point that fact out, since he wasn't planning to accept it to begin with.

"I don't believe I have done anything that might call for your gratitude," the captain remarked. "Even though I was one of the Shinigami who put their spiritual energies into that sword and I appeared in Karakura Town during the Xcution battles, I didn't volunteer to do so. I was merely following my orders."

Ichigo had heard similar replies from a few other Shinigami before when he dropped by to thank them and gave them the presents that he chose for them. However, the difference between those replies and the one Byakuya had just given him was the way they worded their sentences. When other Shinigami said it, it felt that they were being polite and trying not to take any credit for their actions, but when it came to Byakuya, the reply was worded in a way that anyone who had heard it would feel that the nobleman couldn't have cared less about anything that concerned Ichigo.

"Maybe you're right," said the Substitute Shinigami, "but I'm not only thanking you for those."

It was Byakuya's cue to be curious, as he couldn't think of any other reason for Ichigo to feel thankful to him except for what had already been said.

"What else do you feel the need to thank me for, then?"

"For sticking up for me," Ichigo supplied.

The room became quiet for a second after Ichigo spoke his line. Byakuya's stared at his visitor with his slate eyes slightly wider than normal. He had to admit that the Substitute Shinigami could be sharp when he wanted to. After all, he didn't think Ichigo would ever see past the facade that Byakuya had put up and realize that despite the way he usually treated Ichigo, Byakuya had his trust in him.

"Sticking up for you?" Byakuya repeated. Even if there was some truth in Ichigo's claim, he wasn't going to admit it any time soon. "I don't recall having ever done that."

"You have," Ichigo insisted, "First when you let Rukia and Renji come to Hueco Mundo to back me up."

Byakuya closed his eyes for a moment before he opened them and stated, "I let them leave Soul Society because I didn't want them to feel guilty if their friends got killed in Hueco Mundo. Besides, Soul Society viewed you as an important asset because you have yet to see Aizen Sōsuke's shikai, so it might do well to try to keep you alive."

"Maybe that was the case," Ichigo said although it was clear in his voice that he wasn't convinced by Byakuya's explanation at all, "but then, what about when you fought and defeated Tsukishima?"

"What about it?"

"Rukia told me you were injured," Ichigo pointed, "which means that he had cut you with his Fullbring, and we both know he wouldn't miss a chance to insert himself into your past as someone who was very important to you so that you would join his side, just like when he turned all of my friends and my sisters against me. However, you still fought and defeated him anyway."

Lord Kuchiki acknowledged Ichigo's point with a nod.

"That might be a predicament for someone else," Byakuya said nonchalantly. "However, in case you already forgot, I am a man who values his duty over a life of his family member. I was ordered to assist you in that battle, so why should I hesitate to cut him down when he was your enemy?"

There was a hint of challenge in Byakuya's slate eyes, daring Ichigo to try to prove otherwise.

"I haven't forgotten, Byakuya," Ichigo said, "but I also know that you're not as heartless as you want everyone to believe. You regretted your choice regarding Rukia's execution, so I doubt you would ever want to repeat that same mistake. Even if you had an order, you wouldn't have followed it if you hadn't felt it was right. So it would make more sense if you were to side with Tsukishima who was someone important to you and turn against me whom you had once sworn to kill with your very hands."

Having said everything, Ichigo then shrugged softly.

"Oh, well, it doesn't really matter if you still insist you did it out of an entirely different reason," Ichigo commented. "Truth be told, it'd really weird me out to think that you actually stuck up for me when even my sisters and my longtime friends didn't. I mean, we aren't even friends."

Although Ichigo's voice was light when he mentioned it, there was something in those umber eyes that told Byakuya that Ichigo was still haunted by the incident.

"You should not look too deep into the matter, Kurosaki Ichigo. It would only depress you," Byakuya said softly. "The truth is even though your friends and sisters appeared to have sided with the Fullbringer back then, you still had their loyalties. When they tried to stop you from fighting him, it was because they wanted to prevent you from doing what they perceived to be a mistake. They didn't actually intend to hurt or kill you. I, on the contrary, do not have that same kind of loyalty. Had I chosen to take that man's side, I would have fought you with an intent to kill you. It was just your luck that I didn't side with that Fullbringer."

Ichigo's scowl was somewhat softened. He wasn't sure if Byakuya was trying to give him a solace or trying to imply that he still had no value in the nobleman's eyes. However, those words still made him feel a little less traumatized by the memories of the time his friends and his sisters had fallen under the influence of Tsukishima's Fullbring.

"I'm glad we're no longer enemies, then," Ichigo noted.

Byakuya nodded. "So am I."

A long awkward silence filled the room right afterward, so Byakuya lifted his glass of barley tea up to take another sip. He then kept his eyes on Kurosaki Ichigo, whose hand was playing absently at that box of present he had been holding since the start, and waited for the boy's next move. After all, that was the most he could do when he wasn't the one who had any business with Ichigo unless he wanted to play a rude host and imply to his visitor that he should leave since they ran out of subjects to discuss.

Eventually, Ichigo sighed.

"You know, Byakuya, my initial plan was to come here, say thank, give you this gift, and then leave, but you kinda ruined my plan when you brushed everything off as unnecessary," he said. "Now I don't know what else to say to you, but it didn't feel right to just leave when I still haven't accomplished anything I'm here to do. So can't you at least accept the gift, so I can just be on my way home?"

"You are really persistent," Byakuya observed.

"And so are you," Ichigo countered. "I mean, I know it's a custom to refuse a gift at first, but seriously, I never had this much trouble trying to convince someone to accept my present. If I haven't already known you hate my guts, I would have begun to think so."

Although Byakuya was quite amused by Ichigo's last sentence, he didn't really show it on his expression. He wouldn't say that he hated the Substitute Shinigami per se, but he might have to admit that he enjoyed getting under that boy's skin a lot more than he should have.

"I have a feeling that you're not going to give up until I accept that present of yours?"

"You know me, Byakuya," said Ichigo. "What do you think?"

"I think I should just be grateful and accept it," Byakuya replied. "After all, it could take all day to argue with you, and I have better things to do."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes and glared at the nobleman.

"You really do hate me."

Even though he said that, Ichigo still handed the box in his hand to Byakuya, who gingerly accepted it.

"Thank you for the present," the captain said in a formal manner. "You shouldn't have bothered."

"Yeah, now I also think that I shouldn't have," the Substituted Shinigami agreed.

Although he had done what he came to do, Ichigo was still sitting there, staring at Byakuya as if he expected something else. Therefore, Byakuya could only furrow his brows, as he looked at the box and then back at his visitor.

"Do you, perhaps, want me to open it in front of you?" Byakuya wondered.

Ichigo blinked. He then realized he had been staring when he should have just excused himself and let the nobleman be.

"No, not really," he replied, "but if you want to, then by all means."

Since Ichigo was still sitting there watching him, Byakuya decided that he might as well forget the proper etiquette and open that box to see what was inside. After all, it would give him something to do instead of just sitting there in yet another awkward silence.

The nobleman broke the tape that sealed the box with his finger nail before he opened the lid. Pulling out a ball-shaped glass wind chime out of the box by its black cord, Byakuya took a moment to admire the detailed painting of purplish blue Chinese bellflowers and forest green leaves. The wind chime's beige oblong paper wind catcher caught a slight breeze and caused the glass clapper to strike against the bell and make a sharp but soothing chime.

If he were a little more conceited, Byakuya might have assumed that Ichigo had deliberately chosen that wind chime in order to please him, since Chinese bellflowers happened to be Byakuya's favorite flowers. However, since Byakuya's preference was not something that was widely known, and Ichigo had no reason to go so far as to research his interests and choose a present accordingly; the thought was buried just as soon as it entered Byakuya's mind.

Even so, Byakuya still couldn't help eyeing Ichigo in a peculiar way. The look made the Substitute Shinigami deepen his scowl as a result.

"Something's wrong?" Ichigo asked.

"No," Byakuya replied before he carefully placed the wind chime back into its box, making sure that by doing so he wouldn't break the wind bell or crumple the paper wind catcher. "I'm just wondering if there was any specific reason you chose this pattern."

"Should there be?"

Byakuya shook his head.

"Not necessary," Byakuya replied. "However, I cannot help thinking that you might have bought many wind chimes and then randomly gave one to each person you came to say thanks to, and this just happened to be the last one left. After all, the design isn't quite what anyone would normally pick for a man."

Ichigo growled, obviously not pleased with Byakuya's assumption.

"If you must know, other designs I found in the shop were either too cutesy for a guy or too plain. The ones that looked okay were this one and the one with a cherry blossom pattern. I don't know what you actually feel about that, but I think you'd probably seen more than enough of cherry blossoms in your lifetime already, so I picked this wind chime instead, but I guess I should have stuck to the safe bet and bought the cherry blossoms one, after all. At least that way you wouldn't automatically assume that I hadn't put any thoughts into picking gifts and just bought the same thing for everybody, save for the patterns."

Ichigo's words made Byakuya wonder why the boy decided that it would be appropriate to give him a wind chime to begin with, but he decided not to put any serious thought into it. After all, it could be because Ichigo didn't really know what to pick for him and decided that since it was summer, he might as well buy something that was related to the season.

"I see," Byakuya said. "My mistakes, then."

"So you don't like it, huh?" Ichigo asked. "The wind chime, I mean."

"I didn't say that I dislike it," Byakuya replied. "I only asked because I was surprised, since Chinese bellflower happens to be my favorite flower. However, you couldn't have known that when you bought the wind chime, could you?"

"Huh? No? That's just a coincidence."

Lord Kuchiki thought the boy would be surprised; however, the only feeling that showed in the boy's expression was a relief that came from knowing that Byakuya didn't hate the present that he chose.

"So it's just as I thought," Byakuya commented.

Another long silence filled the room as they once again ran out of subjects to discuss. However, that time, Ichigo recalled that he had already done what he was there to do, so there was no reason for him to stay there in that awkward silence any longer.

"Anyway, since I've been bothering you for long enough for one day, I think I'd better go and let you get back to whatever you were doing before I arrived."

With that said, Ichigo rose to his feet.

"It wasn't much of a bother," Byakuya remarked as he followed Ichigo's example and stood up. From the way the noble worded his sentence, Ichigo could tell that Byakuya didn't say so just to be polite but he actually meant what he said. "In fact, I believe this is the longest and most civilized conversation we've ever had."

"Come to think of it, yeah, you're right," Ichigo said. He then narrowed his eyes and rubbed his chin as he observed, "But maybe that's got something to do with how you've been uncharacteristically nice to me lately."

Byakuya furrowed his brows.

"I doubt I have treated you any differently from before," Lord Kuchiki noted. "If you believe I have, then perhaps it is your perception of me that has been changed."

Ichigo shook his head.

"I don't think so. Two years ago you wouldn't have even looked me in the eye. Now I have this feeling that you're holding me in a little higher regard than before," Ichigo spoke, making a small gesture with his thumb and index to indicate how 'little' that was. "You just don't want to admit it."

"You shouldn't trust that feeling of yours for too much, Kurosaki Ichigo," Lord Kuchiki warned. "If I recall correctly, just a short while ago you still claimed that I hated you."

The orange-haired teen rolled his eyes.

"Whatever you say, Byakuya. I'm not gonna debate that with you when I should have been off since five minutes ago."

Captain Kuchiki acknowledged the statement with a nod.

"In this case, I shall get someone to escort you to the gate."

Ichigo couldn't really tell if Byakuya was playing his part as a nice and polite host or it was just the man's way to make sure that Ichigo wouldn't be around in his house for any longer than necessary, but either way, it didn't really matter.

"That's unnecessary. I'm totally capable of showing myself out," he remarked.

"Are you sure that you know the way out?"

Ichigo shook his head.

"Not really, but I can just jump over the wall and I'll be out. Don't worry. I won't be wandering in your house for too long," Ichigo replied. "Anyway, I'm off now, so see you later, Byakuya."

Byakuya nodded. "Have a safe journey."

Ichigo nodded once to acknowledge Byakuya's parting word, and then he headed toward the door only to stop by the threshold.

"Oh, one last thing, Byakuya," Ichigo said in a serious tone although he didn't bother to turn around, "you really should stop acting nice—"

Byakuya raised an eyebrow.

"—or I might get used to it."

With that, Ichigo disappeared with the help of his flash-steps.

Byakuya stared at the empty space that was once occupied by a certain orange-haired, brown-eyed Substitute Shinigami for a moment before he shook his head.

He might have let his guard down too low if Kurosaki Ichigo thought he was being nice. It was either that or the summer heat had really gone to that boy's head and given him a weird imagination.

With a soft sigh, Byakuya bent down to pick up the gift box that he left by his seat before he made his way back to his room. He would worry about his dealing with Kurosaki Ichigo later either when he had to go to the World of the Living or when the boy came to visit Soul Society again. At that moment, the only thing he needed to be concerned about was where the best spot to hang that wind chime would be.


	2. Rain, Training and Umbrella

A/N: Many thanks to all who put this story to their alert and/or favorite lists, and even more so for those who spared their time to review the previous installment. Your feedback made me feel more encouraged to continue this little series. I hope you will enjoy this installment as well.

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><p><em>2: Rain, Training and Umbrella<em>

Since he was on summer holidays and his friends already had their respective plans for the period, Ichigo decided to accept Rukia's invitation to stay in Soul Society. After all, she was right about him needing some training after having lost his power for almost two years. Since he arrived to Soul Society, Ichigo had been staying at the Thirteenth Division's barracks and training with most of the Shinigami he knew. At that time, he was supposed to meet up with Renji in an outskirt Rukongai so that they both could train in their bankai without destroying anything or killing any innocent bystanders. However, Renji was late for their appointment and to make it worse, rain began showering down.

Ichigo hated when it rained, he really did. And he hated it more when it rained without warning because he wouldn't have a chance to prepare an umbrella. Sometimes he couldn't understand why there was weather in Soul Society at all when that place was supposed to be the after world. In any case, the Substitute Shinigami found himself standing under a big maple tree, trying his best to keep himself off Rukongai's rain shower.

"This sucks," he muttered. "Why does it always have to rain when I don't have an umbrella?"

As if to play a prank on the Substitute Shinigami, the rain fell even heavier than before so the maple tree could no longer keep much rain off. If it kept raining like that, he would be soaked in no time; so Ichigo used the best solution he could think of and removed his zanpakutō from his back and then held it over his head, using its huge blade as a makeshift umbrella.

Sighing, Ichigo muttered under his breath, "Man, I'm seriously gonna kill Renji for standing me up."

At that rate, there was no way he could travel back to Seireitei without being completely soaked, yet he didn't know that area well enough to find a place to stay out of the rain either. Therefore, Ichigo could only hope it would stop raining soon so he wouldn't have to be drenched in the rain and risk getting a cold, even though he wasn't certain if one could get sick in one's spirit form to begin with.

"If I didn't know better, I would assume you harbor a strange wish to be struck by lightning."

A very familiar male voice brought Ichigo out of his reverie, so Ichigo turned to the direction of the voice and saw the last man he would ever expect to see in Rukongai's street – Kuchiki Byakuya. The captain was standing in front of him in his full Shinigami uniform, carrying a big white bangasa umbrella to keep off the rain.

"Byakuya?" Ichigo blinked before he deepened his scowl. "What the hell are you on about?"

Lord Kuchiki wordlessly cast his eyes upon Zangetsu's blade in response.

Following Byakuya's eyes, Ichigo uttered a soft 'oh' before he quickly lowered the zanpakutō and then secured it behind his back with the red strap he wore across his chest.

"Well, unlike you, I don't have a fancy umbrella, so I've got to improvise," the teen explained. "Besides, Zangetsu is still sheathed and it's not like there's actually a thunderstorm out here."

Hearing Ichigo's comment, Byakuya moved the hand that was holding the umbrella slightly as if doing so would allow him to see the thing from a different angle. Captain Kuchiki looked up to the white paper panels of the umbrella for a moment before he turned his attention back to the orange-haired teen in front of him.

"This can hardly be called fancy," Byakuya commented.

As Ichigo looked up to confirm the captain's words, he realized that by making a small change in the position of his hand, Byakuya managed to shelter them both from the rain with that white umbrella without having to step any closer to him. It also made Ichigo aware of how close they had been standing to one another. He didn't actually mind the proximity, since he knew that Byakuya usually spoke in a certain volume so it could be impossible to hear the man should they stand any farther apart. However, Ichigo wasn't sure if the umbrella just happened to be big enough to shield them both from the rain or Byakuya actually meant to share his umbrella without bothering to mention it. Either way, Ichigo made no effort to move from his spot.

"Anything that can effectively keep off the rain is fancy enough in my standard," Ichigo pointed with a shrug. "What are you doing here, by the way?"

"I'm under the impression that you have an appointment with my lieutenant."

"Yeah. What's that gotta do with you?"

"When I ordered him to lead a squad to dispatch some Hollows in other district, Renji said he was supposed to see you here to help you train your bankai, so I believe I should let you know why he was late for his appointment."

Ichigo sighed.

"Oh, I guess that can't be helped. We can't just let any Hollows run around in Soul Society, after all," said the Substitute Shinigami. "Still, there's no need for you to actually come here yourself. You could have sent anyone to tell me that."

"I could have," Byakuya agreed. "However, since my order made Renji unable to keep his words, I believe it is my responsibility to come here and assist you in your training in his place."

The right corner of Ichigo's mouth curved up into a smirk.

"If I didn't know any better, I would have assumed you sent Renji to that mission because you wanted to see me."

An amused gleam flashed behind Byakuya's slate eyes.

"Who knows, Kurosaki Ichigo? You could be right," Lord Kuchiki remarked. "However, I believe it is raining heavier, so shall we discuss this elsewhere?"

Ichigo furrowed his brows and looked out to the dull sky. He realized Byakuya was right about the rain getting heavier, so he decided he would just hold on to the thought that Lord Kuchiki might have just teased him until he could get to some place dry.

"Yeah, sure," Ichigo replied.

Hearing the answer, Byakuya turned and prepared to leave Ichigo to his own device should Ichigo choose not to follow him. However, before he could do so, the captain had to be surprised when the Substitute Shinigami suddenly seized the wooden handle of his umbrella. Byakuya turned toward Ichigo and raised an eyebrow as if to question the younger man's intention.

"Allow me," Ichigo stated. "I mean, since you've gone out of your way to come here in this rain and share your umbrella with me, I might as well try to be a little useful and help you carry it."

Byakuya almost said that he could carry his own umbrella, but he decided against it when he saw the sincerity behind Ichigo's umber eyes. He believed that he and Ichigo had one thing in common, and it was that neither of them wanted to owe anyone a favor regardless of how small that favor was. Therefore, Byakuya decided to release his hold on the umbrella's handle.

"Come with me, then."

It took them a couple of minutes of walking to reach to a talus cave underneath a nearby cliff. Once they stepped inside and sheltered themselves from the rain, Ichigo folded the umbrella and pointed it downward to let some water drip to the ground while Byakuya summoned a red kidō orb in his palm to light up the cave before he began exploring the area.

"I've gotta say you surprise me, Byakuya," Ichigo remarked as he followed Byakuya's movement with his eyes, secretly admiring the graceful way the nobleman moved around. "I mean, you seem to know the way around even though you don't impress me as someone who normally comes out to Rukongai."

"I don't often come to Rukongai these days," the captain said, confirming Ichigo's initial assumption. "However, there was a time when my duty was security patrol and, therefore, I had to come to Rukongai on a regular basis. This is one of the areas I used to patrol, and fortunately this area hasn't changed much over the years."

Ichigo shot Byakuya a look of disbelief. "You. Doing a security patrol in Rukongai. You can't be serious!"

"Just because I am a captain now doesn't mean I have never been a rank and file," said the nobleman.

The Substitute Shinigami shrugged. "Well, I kinda thought that with your family's influences in Soul Society, you would have been recruited to better position."

"I suppose that could have been done," Byakuya said, "However, my grandfather wanted me to start from the bottom and work my way up so that when I reached to the top, no one could say I only got the position because of my family name and not because of my ability."

Ichigo furrowed his brows.

"It's not easy being born in a great noble house, eh?"

"If being easy meant wealth and influences, then I suppose you can say I have it easier than most. After all, I was born with certain privileges," Byakuya stated, "However, because of those privileges, I've been under a constant scrutiny from everyone in the society. When I am good at something, I don't get a compliment, since that's something that is expected of me, but should I fail at something, they would not hesitate to criticize me and in some cases, my failure could tarnish my family's name."

Ichigo nodded. Somehow he could understand why Byakuya had such an overbearing personality sometimes. After all, Kuchiki Byakuya wasn't just a pretty face who easily got everything by riding on his family's influences, but he was a man who had to work hard to earn his own stature while being under a type of pressure that not many people understood.

"I guess this is another thing we don't have in common," the teen commented. "For you, people expect you to excel at everything, whereas for me, everyone expects me to fail at everything."

To that comment, Byakuya turned around and shot Ichigo a curious look. Therefore, Ichigo felt he needed to give a little further explanation.

"You see, people don't believe that my hair color is natural," Ichigo said, running his hand through his orange hair. "They think I have it dyed because I'm some sort of punk who only cares about fighting other punks. We don't even have to go far to search for an example, since you yourself have once looked down on me and thought of me as a stupid brat who could never achieve bankai let alone defeat you. I've gotta work hard at everything to prove that I'm better than all those insults."

"You have proved your point well," the nobleman commented before he walked up to Ichigo after he was done exploring the cave.

Ichigo's eyes were widened as he didn't expect to hear something akin to compliment coming from someone like Byakuya.

"Err...thanks?" he replied.

Byakuya acknowledged Ichigo's word with a nod.

"By the way, as deep as this cave is, I doubt it is big enough to be used as a training ground," the nobleman remarked, changing the subject.

"That's okay," said Ichigo, "we're just here to stay out of the rain, after all. It's not like I expect you to help me with my training. I mean, when I think of Senbonzakura, I don't think of something that can be used in training. I think of a way to inflict a horribly painful yet remarkably beautiful death."

The Substitute Shinigami didn't exaggerate when he spoke those words. Being cut by thousands of sharp blades could not be anything but horribly painful, yet the vibrant display of a thousand cherry blossoms would still remain remarkably beautiful no matter how he looked at it.

"Your zanpakutō is too dangerous to use to train anyone, myself included," Ichigo added. "Heck, it's probably too dangerous even for you yourself."

"You may be right, but I do have other skills aside from my swordsmanship."

To the captain comment, the Substitute Shinigami grimaced.

"Your kidō isn't any less dangerous. You've blown a hole through my body once or twice so I could tell. I'll just wait until Renji is free, thank you very much," he said. "Still I've gotta say my words stay correct – you have been uncharacteristically nice to me lately."

Lord Kuchiki didn't confirm nor denied the statement outright when he turned away from Ichigo to look out into the dark sky outside of the cave.

"As I said, I caused Renji to miss his appointment, so as his superordinate, I feel I should do something about it."

The air around them was once again filled with silence, and once again, Ichigo had to think that he would never really understand the enigma that was Kuchiki Byakuya.

"Say, Byakuya," Ichigo began as he, too, watched the rain fall, "you don't really hate me now, do you?"

The statement managed to make Byakuya turn over his shoulder to study's Ichigo's expression, and the nobleman was rather surprised to see that look in the young Substitute Shinigami's chocolate eyes. It was as if the teen was hoping that Byakuya wouldn't say that he hated him, although Byakuya didn't understand why it would matter to Ichigo how he actually felt.

"If a confirmation is what you need; then no, I do not hate you," the noble said calmly before he turned to watch the falling rain once again but not before he saw a relief in Ichigo's umber eyes.

"Then it wouldn't hurt you to stop calling me by my full name, would it?"

After he asked, Ichigo wondered if he was asking for too much. Byakuya might have said that he didn't hate him, but it didn't mean that the noble captain liked him either.

"If you were to stop referring to me by my given name without any honorific, I might give it a consideration."

Although he didn't look at Ichigo when he gave his answer, Lord Kuchiki could practically feel the Substitute Shinigami's scowl being deepened.

"Might?" Ichigo repeated.

"In case you forgot, Kurosaki Ichigo, I never gave you a permission to refer to me merely by my given name," Byakuya pointed. "Whether or not I change the way I address you depends on the way you plan to address me from now on."

"And how do you expect me to call you? Kuchiki-sama? Byakuya-sama?" Ichigo asked, frowning. "If that's what you want, then you can forget it, Byakuya. That ain't gonna happen even after hell freezes over."

Lord Kuchiki closed his eyes as if to hide the amusement that Ichigo's reply caused him. He later put on his most nonchalant expression and noted:

"I would settle for a simple 'Byakuya-san,' but since you already told me to forget it, then I suppose this negotiation is over."

Ichigo groaned. "Somehow I feel you're less irritated by this arrangement than I am."

"Do you think I actually like to be referred to merely by my given name?"

Ichigo shrugged.

"Well, yeah, I mean, there are a few people who called you Byakuya – like Yoruichi-san and Ukitake-san – right? So it can't mean that you dislike being called by your given name per se."

"You do realize, of course, that they are my senpai?" Byakuya countered. "Besides, I know you have no problem using honorifics, so I've been under the impression that you chose to call me by my given name just to irritate me."

To Byakuya's last remark, Ichigo smirked.

"Well, you could be right," said the boy, "but like I said, you might not be as irritated as you should be. Anyway, it doesn't matter. I'm not gonna stop calling you Byakuya, Byakuya, but someday you're gonna refer to me as Ichigo. I'll make sure of that."

Byakuya raised an eyebrow. "Is that a challenge?"

"Of course," Ichigo replied with a smug expression. "And I'm telling you, I'm not gonna lose. Time is on my side, after all."

"Must I remind you that what you have just said may have given me yet another reason never to refer to you by your given name?"

"I've already known that," the teen said, "but this is a matter of resolve, and I don't think you'll be able to keep being cold to me for good."

"We shall see about that then, Kurosaki Ichigo."

Ichigo shrugged, looking more confident about the so-called challenge than Byakuya expected him to be.

The nobleman looked out of the cave once again and realized that the rain had begun to let up although the sky didn't seem any brighter.

"It looks like it will stop raining soon," Byakuya commented, drawing Ichigo's attention to the weather outside.

"Yeah, it looks that way," Ichigo agreed. "Does it usually rain in Soul Society, by the way?"

"Only during rainy seasons," the captain replied. "However, it was forecast that the season would last longer than normal this year, which is why it's still raining even though it's already the last week in July."

"Oh. I see."

With that it seemed they ran out of topics for conversation, so the two settled to stay in complete silence while listening to a spattering sound of the falling rain. Fortunately, it didn't take long for the rain to finally stop even though the sky was still rather dull. Lord Kuchiki reached his hand out to feel if it was still raining, and when he felt nothing falling on his palm, he decided that it was safe to go out.

"Anyway, since my presence here is not needed, I believe it's time I returned to my division," Byakuya commented. "Are you going to stay in this place?"

"Well, since I'm already here, I might as well do some training. When Renji finishes his mission and reports back at your division, can you let him know I'm still around?"

Byakuya nodded.

"Certainly. Good day, Kurosaki Ichigo."

"Okay, then, see you later, Byakuya," Ichigo said. However, as he was about to raise his hand and give Byakuya a quick wave, he realized he was still holding on to Byakuya's white umbrella. "Oh, wait. Don't forget your umbrella."

Byakuya looked at the dull sky before he glanced at the umbrella that Ichigo handed to him and shook his head.

"Keep it," he said. "It looks like it's going to rain again later, so you might need it since you're not leaving."

From the look of the sky, Ichigo had to agree with Byakuya. However, it didn't feel right for him to simply accept the umbrella.

"Wouldn't you need it for later?"

"It won't take long for me to go back to my division, and I have some spare umbrellas there should it rain again. You can return it to me when you no longer need it."

"But I might not see you. I mean—"

"If you can't find me, then you can just leave it with Renji or Rukia," Byakuya said, cutting off Ichigo's protest. "As I said, I have some spare umbrellas, so it doesn't really matter when you return it."

Knowing that he had no reason to refuse unless he wished to buy himself an umbrella, Ichigo decided that he might as well just accept Byakuya's rare act of kindness.

"Oh, well, then I'll borrow it for today. Thanks, Byakuya."

Once again, Byakuya nodded.

"You're welcome," he said. "Good day."

With that, Byakuya was off, using his shunpo, leaving Ichigo alone in the cave.

Still holding on to the big white umbrella, Ichigo couldn't help smiling slightly to himself. It appeared Byakuya could really be nice even if he wouldn't admit it aloud. At that rate, if he made his move right, getting the nobleman to refer to him as Ichigo might not be as impossible a feat as he initially believed it would be.


	3. Color, Garden and Fascination

A/N: Once again, many thanks to everyone who spares his/her precious time to comment on the previous chapters, and also to those who put this story on his/her favorite/alert list. This vignette appears to be shorter than the others, but I hope it wouldn't be any less enjoyable. The idea for this installment popped up after I recalled an omake that I've read a while back though I cannot recall wherefrom. Have fun reading, and if you have some time to spare, don't forget to press that bluish button and let me know what you think of this piece.

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><p><em>3: Color, Garden and Fascination<em>

Lately Byakuya had often found his eyes wandering to any orange objects that came into his line of sight. It was a strange habit for him to have developed as orange was never his favorite color, and it was even stranger that whenever he saw an orange object he would compare it to the shade of orange of a certain Substitute Shinigami's hair.

Having had a purple-haired she-devil as a childhood frienemy and lately been stalked by a pink-haired child, Byakuya could hardly describe Kurosaki Ichigo's hair color as exotic. However, even though he had met many people who had strawberry-blond or red hair, Lord Kuchiki couldn't quite say that anyone else had hair in that same shade of orange. It was either too blond or too red, while Ichigo's hair could not be described by any other name but orange. It was almost like a color of a tangerine, but with more radiant – like the sunlight when the sun was about to set from the horizon, yet livelier still.

Byakuya hadn't noticed that his fascination to the certain color had become more than a little unhealthy until that one day when he was caught staring by none other than the orange-haired Substitute Shinigami himself.

It was just a coincidence that the day Byakuya returned to the Kuchiki Mansion to get some change of clothes after having spent the whole week at the Sixth Division's barrack happened to be the same day that Kurosaki Ichigo dropped by to see Rukia at the mansion.

It was also not Lord Kuchiki's intention to look for the Substitute Shinigami, as he was not informed about Kurosaki Ichigo's visit. He just happened to spot the boy – or his hair color to be more precise – in the garden among all colorful flowers. Since he was sure that there were not any flowers in his garden that had the same shade of orange with Ichigo's hair, he did a double take.

Byakuya was positive that he didn't stare that hard at the boy, yet Kurosaki Ichigo still turned slowly around as if he could feel the weight of Byakuya's gaze on the top of his head.

As always, Ichigo didn't greet him with a smile, but then again, Byakuya doubted he had ever seen the boy smile in any circumstances. The scowl on his face, however, was softened as he saw Byakuya.

"Oh, hey, Byakuya," the boy greeted before he approached to the porch where Byakuya was standing. "It's been a while."

Since Ichigo simply stopped there on the ground instead of stepping up to the wooden porch, Byakuya had no choice but to look down. However, instead of looking at the boy in his chocolate eyes, Byakuya eyes lingered on the top of Ichigo's orange hair.

"You are here to see Rukia, I presume?"

"Yeah, she called me and told me to drop by because she needed my help in choosing a gift for Renji's birthday," Ichigo explained. "I don't see how I'd be able to help her much, though. I mean, she's known him all her life, so she should have known what he likes better than anyone else."

Byakuya shook his head. Sometimes he pitied that boy for never having been able to refuse his sister's requests no matter how little sense those requests might make at times.

"You do realize, of course, that you could have just refused her."

"I can't," Ichigo said. Seeing the way Byakuya lifted his eyebrow, Ichigo gave the nobleman a sheepish look and a vague explanation: "Not this time, at least. I kinda owe her a favor."

Since these two seemed to always be in debt to one another in one way or another, Byakuya decided it would be best not to inquire what kind of favor Ichigo was owing to his sister this time.

"Where is Rukia, by the way?" Byakuya asked.

"Who knows? Maybe she's still at the Thirteenth Division?" the boy replied with a shrug. "She told me to drop by around five, but I thought I should get here a bit early so I wouldn't be late and give her an excuse to yell my ears out."

"And you cannot just wait in the living room?"

"Well, I was there at first, but it was boring just sitting there alone without anything to do."

"In that case, shall I keep you company until my sister arrives?"

Ichigo blinked at the unexpected offer. He couldn't think of one reason why Byakuya would bother with him when he could have just leave Ichigo to his own device until Rukia showed up. After all, Ichigo was technically not his guest, and Byakuya shouldn't have minded how bored Ichigo would get from having to wait by himself.

"Eh, you don't need to do that," Ichigo found himself protesting. "I mean, I'm okay with looking around in the garden."

"In that case, make sure you do not ruin any flowers in the garden. After all, the gardener had spent so much time cultivating them," Byakuya said impassively.

Ichigo groaned.

"What do you think I am? Some five-year-old kid who would run around and ruin everything when you're not watching?"

Byakuya looked at Ichigo for a moment, enjoying the way the boy's relaxed expression morphed into an irritated one in just an instant. Sometimes, Ichigo reminded him of his much younger self who still wore his heart on his sleeves, though Byakuya highly doubted the boy would grow up to be anything like him.

"You are not that much of a child, Kurosaki Ichigo, yet you are not quite an adult either."

With that remark, Byakuya turned and continued on his way along the porch so he would not get to hear whatever kind of profanity that Ichigo intended to throw at his way for making such a comment.

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><p>Much to Byakuya's surprise, Ichigo was still at the garden by the time he went out of his room again after he took a shower and changed into a fresh uniform, intending to return to this division after having his dinner. From what he heard from Ichigo about the appointment the boy had with Rukia, Byakuya thought Ichigo would have been gone by that time, yet Ichigo was still sitting on the wooden porch looking bored out of his mind.<p>

Lord Kuchiki halted at the corner of the porch, wondering if he should take a long way around to the dining room or if he should approach to that boy to ask him why he was still there.

It appeared he had been pondering a tad too long so Ichigo turned his direction and once again caught Byakuya staring. Ichigo furrowed his brows slightly as if to make a decision whether he should say what was on the top of his mind, and it appeared that he decided to voice the thought as he asked, "Is something wrong with my hair?"

It was Byakuya's turn to blink at Ichigo's question.

"No. Why do you ask?"

"Because this isn't the first time I notice you staring at my head with that strange look?"

Again, Byakuya blinked. He would admit to having stared at the boy's vibrant hair, but he didn't think Ichigo would ever notice. After all, that boy had never noticed the goo-goo eyes that Inoue Orihime had openly sent his way whenever he was in her proximity, so it didn't make much sense for him to notice the way Byakuya occasionally looked at him when Byakuya believed the way he looked at that boy was completely normal, especially when compare to a look from that busty girl. However, since Ichigo did notice, Byakuya decided to just explain himself.

"I merely find your hair color interesting."

Ichigo deepened his scowl.

"You can't possibly think that I bleached my hair, too, Byakuya?" the boy asked, exasperated, and Byakuya came to recall the conversation they once had about how Ichigo was under some kind of pressure because of the color of his hair.

"I do not know whether you bleach the hair of your physical self," Byakuya observed, "but I know you do not know how to bleach the color of your soul so I never doubt if that hair color is natural."

"Oh," Ichigo exclaimed. His expression turned relaxed for a moment before he frowned once again as another thought hit him. "But then why would you think it's interesting? I mean, in Soul Society, there are people with more unusual hair color, like blue, purple and pink."

"Interesting does not have the same meaning as unusual."

"So you find my hair color interesting?"

"Why else would I use you as a model for the statue that is the center piece in the Kuchiki Garden that is now opened to the public?"

Though Byakuya's question was rhetoric, Ichigo still found himself answering to it.

"You mean other than the fact that you told me other captains were too busy to be your model so you had no choice but to choose me?" Ichigo quipped, still remembering all too well how he was asked to wear a tuxedo with a bow tie in the middle of the sun in the unveiling ceremony that nobody bothered to attend but himself and Byakuya. "I guess you just want to mock me by making the sculpture look like a Wakame Taishi version of me? That's what the thing's called, right? Wakame Taishi?"

If he were a lesser man, Byakuya would have already rolled his eyes upon hearing such a suggestion.

"That's what it's called," Lord Kuchiki confirmed with a nod, "but trust me, Kurosaki Ichigo, mocking you wasn't my intention when I created that statue."

Ichigo tilted his head as he looked at the nobleman.

"You know, with the peculiar way you've been looking at me lately and that sentence of yours, it almost makes me think that you used me as a model for that mediocre statue – without my permission I might add – because you were attracted to me, almost."

Strangely enough, Byakuya wasn't shocked to hear such an assumption from the younger man. In fact, the idea of it didn't bother him as much as it should have, and certainly not as much as Ichigo intended it to be. If anything, he was probably more offended by Ichigo's criticism of his work of art than the boy's accusation that he was attracted to him.

"That is one plausible reason," Byakuya stated calmly. "However, whether it was my actual reason or not is an entirely different matter."

Ichigo's jaw dropped as that was certainly not the kind of reaction he expected from Byakuya.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I think my words are clear enough by themselves," Byakuya replied nonchalantly.

"You can't possibly mean..."

The rest of the sentence was never spoken as Ichigo he simply opened and closed his mouth like he was a fish out of water.

Deciding that he already had enough fun messing with the boy for one day, so Byakuya added, "There is no need to worry, Kurosaki Ichigo. It is only your hair color that has me fascinated. Should I really be attracted to you someday, I'll be sure to let you know."

It appeared Ichigo was still dumbfound that he couldn't find any word to say back to Byakuya, so Byakuya was grateful that Rukia chose that moment to show up in the house. And despite how Byakuya believed Ichigo's orange hair alone was enough to draw anyone's attention to it, Rukia didn't seem to realize that her friend was there, since she only smiled and bowed down to greet Byakuya without sparing any glance to the direction of her friend.

"Good afternoon, nii-sama. I didn't know you'd be home today," she said. "Do you happen to see Ichigo somewhere? A servant said he had already arrived and should be waiting in the living room, but I couldn't find him when I got there."

Byakuya wordlessly pointed to Ichigo, who still looked like he was stumped.

"What's with you, Ichigo? If you're right here, why didn't you just say something earlier so I wouldn't have to bother nii-sama with a stupid question?" Rukia asked, glaring at Ichigo, who didn't give her any response. "Anyway, I'll just go and grab my stuff then we can be out right away." Oblivious to her friend's state of shock, Rukia turned her attention back to her brother and then changed the tone of her voice into a softer and more respectful one when she asked, "Will you be staying home tonight, nii-sama?"

Byakuya shook his head.

"I only got back to get some change of clothes. I will return to my division after dinner."

"Oh, I see," Rukia nodded. Then with a concerned look in her eyes, she remarked, "Do not overwork yourself, nii-sama. You haven't been home in a week."

"Do not worry about me, Rukia. I know how to take care of myself," Byakuya replied. "Now shouldn't you go and get whatever it is that you need to get? Your friend has been waiting for you for a while."

"Ah, thank you for reminding me, nii-sama. Now if you'd excuse me?" Rukia said and once she got a nod of permission from her brother, she bowed at him as a farewell before she glanced over to Ichigo's direction and said, "I'll be back in a minute, Ichigo."

And with that, Rukia was off before Ichigo could even give her any response.

Once his sister was off, Byakuya turned his attention back to the Substitute Shinigami who had already got over his initial surprise and decided that the best tactic to deal with him was to give him a hard glare.

"Don't even joke about something like that again, Byakuya," Ichigo said solemnly. "In fact, don't ever joke about anything, period."

"You have my word," Byakuya promised. He then turned and headed toward the dining room so that he could have his dinner before going back to his division to finish his work, but he changed his mind and stopped after he took a couple of steps down the porch. "By the way, Kurosaki Ichigo..."

"Yeah?" Ichigo prompted although his expression seemed somewhat guarded.

Byakuya thought he would mention about how strange it was that Ichigo would notice his occasional stares when the boy didn't seem to notice the amorous look that his friend had been giving him during the past couple of years, but then he decided against doing so. After all, the boy's romance was not his business to interfere.

"Never mind. It is not important."

Ichigo glared at him even harder. "You can't just start saying something, make me curious and then just decide by yourself that it's not important."

Byakuya sent Ichigo a look that said that he could and that he would do just that. Therefore, Ichigo had to wonder if the nobleman's next words were really what he had intended to say initially.

"It was truly not important. After all, I was merely thinking it was strange what people chose to see and what they chose to turn a blind eye on," Byakuya stated. "Anyhow, have a good shopping trip with Rukia."

With those words, Byakuya continued on his path, leaving Ichigo there to ponder the reason why he made that comment if only until Rukia would return.

If he knew anything about how Rukia usually treated her close friends, Byakuya was certain that Ichigo would not remember about their exchange once the shopping trip was over. Meanwhile, Byakuya would probably let that meeting slip out of his mind once he got back to his work. Even so, at that moment, right after he uttered those words, Byakuya couldn't help wondering if there were anything about that encounter that he himself had chosen to turn a blind eye on.


	4. Dance, Fan and Lanterns

A/N: Thank you for all feedback, favorite, alerts as usual. I would have updated a little sooner, but I got sidetracked by the new feature that was added on FFN. Can't say if I like it or not, but I can tell it'll take a while to get used to the new look. Anyhow, you're not here for my ranting, so I'll stop and let you read the new installment. :)

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><p><em>4: Dance, Fan and Lanterns<em>

Ichigo never really cared much for a Bon Festival. Contrary to the famous belief, ancestors' spirits did not return to the World of the Living during those days of the Festival of the Dead. In fact, spirits that had passed on to Soul Society would not return to the World of the Living unless they were sent back to be reborn, or they became Shinigami and got dispatched to the World of the Living on some kind of mission. Therefore, Ichigo didn't see any point to have such a festival – except as an excuse to have a family reunion, which didn't serve any purpose in his case since he was still living with his family.

His father and sisters, however, didn't share the sentiment. They were in their obnoxiously good mood since the beginning of the day. Then Isshin, who clad himself in a black yukata, barged into Ichigo's room, intending to wake him up with a kick in the face.

How he had survived being Kurosaki Isshin's son for eighteen years was beyond Ichigo. However, he knew it would only be a waste of his time to argue with his father when the old man wanted him to dress in yukata like everyone in the family, so Ichigo decided to humor the old man, like he did every other year, and change into a white yukata with wave patterns at the sleeves.

After that, the day went on in the same routine with every other year before. Ichigo was assigned to set up a small table as a temporary altar so that the whole family could later offer food and set up flowers then light a small paper lantern and then pray to all of their ancestors' spirits to come home and accept those offerings. After that, they would go out to visit their dead relatives' graves. Then later in the afternoon, they would attend a local fair to eat some festival food. Then in the evening, they would watch the traditional Bon Odori dance if not participating in the dance themselves.

Their plan for that year, however, was slightly different from the previous years. Instead of heading to a fair in Karakura Town as usual; Isshin, Yuzu and Karin decided that they wanted to see a festival in the neighboring city since they heard it was bigger and that there was a carnival set up there with some games and rides so there would be more activities than just to eat and dance. Therefore, they dragged Ichigo out to said festival without asking his opinions.

Thus Ichigo found himself in Naruki City in a certain part where the Bon Festival was held. Despite the heat of the afternoon, the area was crowded. Just as his father and sisters said, the fair appeared to be much larger than the one in Karakura Town. There were more booths set in the area around the _yagura _wooden scaffold that would be used as a platform for the band, singer and dancers to perform the Bon Odori folk dance later in the evening, and more importantly, there were really a carnival with rides.

Ichigo was looking around the area that was decorated with red and white lanterns when he vaguely heard his father saying that he would be taking the girls to play some games that they wanted to play.

Not in a particular mood to stand in a long queue in the crowd in such a hot day, Ichigo replied:

"You and go with them first, oyaji. I'm gonna go and buy a fan from that store then I'll follow you guys there."

Ichigo then pointed to a certain stall that had some rounded hand fans on a display to show his father where he would be, so Isshin nodded his acknowledgment and then happily went off to one of the game booths with Yuzu and Karin.

After he paid for the fan, Ichigo decided to wander off a bit so that he could buy some shaved ice to cool himself a little more. He could swear he didn't wander off that far or take too long lining up for the shave iced, but when he went for the booth that his father and sisters were supposed to be at, none of them were there.

"Oh, great! Now I've lost them," Ichigo muttered to himself.

He wasn't worried, however. It wasn't as if he was a kid who would freak out just because he couldn't find his family in a crowded place. Thanks to modern technology, it was difficult to lose someone in the crowd when you could just call them on their mobile phones – if there was a reception and the people you wanted to call actually carried their phones with them, that is. He believed the only reason his father didn't call him right after they left the ride was possibly because Isshin was too busy having fun, and the old man didn't worry too much about him, since he was a boy and Isshin knew that he was more than capable of taking care of himself should something bad happen.

Still Ichigo wasn't sure if it was a pain or a blessing to have lost his father and sisters in the crowd then. On the one hand, it meant he wouldn't be dragged along to all games and rides, but on the other hand, he would still have to worry about where they were and how to meet up with them later.

Since he couldn't quite decide, Ichigo thought he would just look for his family while he ate his shaved ice, and if he still couldn't find them after he was done eating or if his family still didn't call him during that period, he would make a call himself since his hands would be free to dial his phone by that time.

Ichigo didn't intend to look up because there was no way for his family to be up on that scaffold stage. They would be walking among the crowd or be in one of those booths, playing games and what not. He only looked up to the sky because it was a hot afternoon and Ichigo was a little frustrated. And there, behind the glare of the sun, stood a lone figure in the place where Ichigo couldn't picture any living person to be standing, since the place was the roof of the scaffold stage.

For the first time, Ichigo wondered if spirits really did come back to the World of the Living during the festival period. The Substitute Shinigami narrowed his eyes and brought his free hand up to block some of the sunlight before he stared at that roof to make sure he wasn't seeing things. After all, he stood quite far from the aforementioned stage, and the sun glare might have done a few tricks to his eyes.

The figure still remained at the same spot when Ichigo took the second look, and as if Ichigo's stare could be sensed from such a distance, the figure turned slightly to his direction. However, before Ichigo could tell whether that figure was a good spirit or a bad spirit, the figure disappeared from his sight.

Ichigo frowned slightly before he looked back down and blinked for a couple of times to adjust his eyes. Hopefully, whatever he saw wasn't a bad spirit, because he would hate to transform into a Substitute Shinigami and leave his soulless body behind in a crowded place.

"So it is really you, Kurosaki Ichigo."

Ichigo jumped slightly, as he did not register the fact that someone had appeared right next to him until he was spoken to. Although he recognized the voice, he still turned to the direction just to confirm with his eyes. It was when he saw a dark spot on the person's face that he realized he might have been staring up into the bright sky for too long.

"Byakuya! Should I be alarmed to see you here?"

Ichigo wasn't surprised that the person who stayed on top of that stage was a Shinigami, since he knew that Shinigami often stood at a vantage point where they could see the entire town from one spot. What surprised him, however, was the fact that said Shinigami was a captain. If he knew anything about how the Gotei 13 operated, they wouldn't have dispatched a captain to the World of the Living unless they felt that it was under a serious threat.

"I'm only here on a patrol duty," Byakuya replied in a tone that made Ichigo felt as though he had just asked a very stupid question.

"A patrol duty?" Ichigo repeated in disbelief. "Since when have you been demoted?"

He then looked at the noble Shinigami from head to toe and saw that the Shinigami was still wearing that white haori that signified his captain rank, which only meant that Byakuya would think of Ichigo's second question as even stupider than his first.

"Just because I took on a job that no other captains wished to do doesn't mean that I got demoted," Byakuya remarked.

"Yeah, I get that, but isn't that usually more Tōshirō's thing? Being assigned to a job that no other captains want to do?"

"Don't ever mention that to Hitsugaya-taichō," Byakuya commented. "Anyway, I actually volunteered for the job, so it is slightly different."

Ichigo blinked for a couple of times when he looked at Byakuya because his eyes still needed to adjust to the level of brightness and because Byakuya almost sounded like he had grown some sense of humor.

"Okay, so tell me again why a captain is sent to the World of the Living if there isn't any big threat to the world's or Soul Society's safety?"

"I believe the technical word is 'precaution'," Byakuya replied. "Those Pluses that haven't been sent to Soul Society often come out in the Obon period, and more often than not, they would draw attentions from Hollows. It doesn't help that people also gather around in one place, making them easy targets for any Hollows that cross over, so more Shinigami are assigned to come to the World of the Living in this period, and someone needs to be in charge of this special mission."

"Is it really necessary for a captain to come?" Ichigo wondered. "I mean, even if Hollows really did come, it would still be kinda overkill to have someone in a captain level to deal with normal Hollows."

"As I said – precaution," Byakuya replied, "though I volunteered because the festival interests me personally."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes.

"Why would you be interested in an Obon?"

"Because there isn't a festival like this in Soul Society?" Byakuya offered.

"Oh, I get it now," Ichigo said, nodding. "You never saw this in Soul Society before; and being born and raised Soul Society, you didn't have any clue why we have this festival at all, so you became curious and wanted to see for yourself."

Instead of confirming or denying Ichigo's conclusion, Byakuya replied with a question of his own.

"What is your excuse for being here, by the way?" he asked. "The last time I check, you do not reside in Naruki City."

"No, I'm not, but people are allowed to travel around sometimes, you know. And since we're on this subject of cities, there are much less spiritual activities here than in Karakura Town, so are you sure you are really dispatched here? I mean, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you chose to station in Naruki City because you figured you wouldn't see me."

Byakuya lifted his eyebrow slightly when he looked at Ichigo as if trying to figure out what gave the boy such an impression.

"If I really wished to avoid you, Kurosaki Ichigo, I wouldn't have come to greet you after I spotted you from the yagura," he stated. "Besides, Karakura Town has more than enough protectors already, so my being there would undoubtedly be 'overkill'. However, I cannot say I am not surprised to see you here."

Ichigo chuckled softly. If anything, he was grateful that Byakuya didn't actually ask the question that was obviously written on his face earlier, since Ichigo wasn't in the mood to give a long, drawn-out explanation, consisting of reasons Byakuya should have already known and some that Byakuya should never find out.

"Yeah, well, that makes the two of us," Ichigo said in good humor. "I wouldn't have come here today if my father and sisters hadn't dragged me to this city because they heard the fair was bigger than the one in Karakura Town, which is true, by the way, but now I've lost them somewhere in the crowd."

And as if Isshin realized someone was talking about him behind his back, the eccentric pediatrician chose that moment to call his son on his cell phone, causing Ichigo to jump slightly at the vibration of the phone that he placed in the fold of his yukata near his chest.

Ichigo furrowed his brows and almost asked Byakuya to hold on to the plastic bowl that was filled with shaved ice for him for a moment so he could answer the phone, but then he recalled that no one in the area was able to see the Shinigami so it would certainly cause a big commotion if anyone looked at their directions and saw a floating bowl of shaved ice.

"Excuse me for a moment," Ichigo said before he turned slightly away from Byakuya so the Shinigami wouldn't see him awkwardly dug his hand into his yukata and picked up his cell phone. He flipped the cell phone open and looked at the caller's ID on the screen then sighed as he saw it was his dad. Hitting the answer button with his thumb, he replied, "Oi, oyaji, where are you? I couldn't find you at that game booth."

"Well, your sisters and I have left the booth. Karin then wanted to have some takoyaki, so we went to buy some, and then Yuzu wanted to eat a chocolate banana so we went searching for a kiosk," Isshin replied. "After that, we went and bought something to drink because we feel thirsty after we ate some food and sweets and then—"

"Just tell me where the heck you are, oyaji," Ichigo repeated his question, not really wanting to hear how many kiosks his father and sisters had gone to while completely forgotten that he was supposed to be there with them.

"Well, looks like Yuzu and Karin want to ride a carousel, so we're going to find if there's one around," Isshin replied. "Oh, but before that we might drop by to by some dango first."

Ichigo sighed. "So I should meet up with you guys at a carousel, if there's one, then?"

"Yeah, looks like it," Isshin replied before he added in a dramatic tone, "I'm sorry we've lost you, Ichigo. You must have felt so lonely by yourself. Daddy will buy you some sushi and ice-cream once we reunited and–"

"Stop being so dramatic, oyaji, I'm not a kid," Ichigo replied, deepening his scowl. "Jeez, I'm glad I didn't have to stick with you for the whole time. Besides, I'm not exactly alone here."

"Eh! But you're supposed to be lost and lonely, Ichigo," Isshin said as if he thought 'lost and lonely' was the only condition Ichigo should be in.

"Well, I kinda run into a friend here, so it's okay. There's no need for you to act like a drama queen. I mean, seriously—"

"A friend? Ah, I see!" Isshin cried into the phone, making Ichigo wince and pull the phone away from his ear for a moment. "It's a girl, isn't it? Ha-ha, now I know why you didn't call me right away when you couldn't find us at that booth. I'm sorry I called and interrupted your sweet time together, then."

"What the heck, oyaji? Don't just assume crazy things!"

"My, my, Ichigo, there's no need to be shy. Spend time with her. Your dad and sisters will be okay without you. We don't really mind if you'd ditch us so you could be with a girl. After all, you're at that age when you'd care more about your love interest than your family. Oh, my, I can't wait to go back home and tell your mother this. Ah, I bet she'd be happy to know that spring has come to our beloved son, though it's not exactly spring."

"Oi, oyaji!" Ichigo felt he needed to interrupt before his father's idea had gone any crazier. "I'm not with a girl."

Isshin was quiet for a moment before he replied, "So you're with a boy? Oh, well, I haven't really seen that one coming, but don't worry, Ichigo. Daddy will love you all the same no matter what your sexual orientation is. Oh, no! Does this mean we'll have to have 'the talk' again in a different way?"

"What!? No! Are you nuts?" Ichigo's jaw dropped as he heard what his father was babbling, though when he came to think about it later, he shouldn't have been astounded by anything Isshin said. After all, he had already decided since a long time ago that his old man was crazy. "That's not—"

"Oh, right! I'm interrupting your date, sorry. I'll hang up now and we can talk later. Anyway, if you still want to go home with me and your sister, let's meet at the yagura when the Bon Odori starts, okay? But if you'd rather go somewhere else instead of going home with us, I'd understand. I've been a teenager before, after all. Just be sure to use protection. Bye-bye."

And without waiting for any sort of reply from his son, Isshin just hung up on him, leaving Ichigo to yell at the phone as he heard the line being disconnected, "Oi!"

Ichigo grunted and stared venomously at the phone before he flipped it close and then placed it back into the fold of his yukata. He was surprised, however, that when he turned back to where Byakuya stood, the Shinigami had yet to leave, since he had half expected that Byakuya would be off while he was talking on the phone. After all, they had already exchanged polite greetings, and he doubted Byakuya would want to do more than that if the circumstance didn't require otherwise.

"Sorry about that, Byakuya. My old man is being crazy. Again," Ichigo said with a sigh. "He thought I was with a girl and more or less encouraged me to spend the night with her. I mean, seriously? What kind of dad advises that to a teenage son?"

"His kind, apparently," Byakuya deadpanned. "Though, I suppose I can understand his point. When I was physically your age, I already had a wife."

"Yeah, but when you were physically my age, you were like a hundred something years old and not still in a high school, right?"

"Touché."

Again, Ichigo chuckled.

"So," Byakuya said, changing the subject, "where are you supposed to meet up with your father and sisters?"

"I don't know. They're supposed to be somewhere looking for a carousel or a dango stall or both. Either way, it's gonna be a pain to go and actually look for them, so I'll just hang around here until the time of the dance and then I'll look for them around the yagura. I don't know," Ichigo said with a shrug. "I'm beginning to think that maybe it's better to be alone for a couple of hours than to be dragged around by them."

Lord Kuchiki nodded.

"If you don't mind my company, I could stay with you until the time of the dance," he offered, "if there wasn't any Hollow alert, of course."

Ichigo found it strange for Byakuya to make such an offer, but then he realized Byakuya might have spent the whole day standing alone with nothing better to do on the roof of that stage, so the man might have been really bored that he would be willing to spend time with anyone just as long as it gave him something to do.

"Are you sure? I mean, the dance won't start until nightfall," Ichigo asked just to make sure. "I mean, I'm fine by myself, really."

There was a hint of amusement in Byakuya's eyes when the nobleman looked at Ichigo and remarked, "Now I have a feeling that you are the one who does not wish to see me."

"Now why would you think that?" Ichigo returned and when he saw a look on Byakuya's face that asked him if he really wanted the Shinigami to elaborate, he added, "I just thought you might want to go back up on that roof so you can have a better view point in case some stupid Hollows decide to show up. That's all."

To that answer, a corner of Byakuya's lips curved up slightly, but it was only there very briefly, so Ichigo wasn't sure if it was just his imagination.

"I have other means to detect a Hollow aside from searching for them with my eyes."

"Then what are you doing on top of the yagura if not for a vantage point in case some Hollows show up?"

"Watching humans in general," Byakuya replied, "I did tell you I was interested in this festival, did I not?"

"Right, because there isn't festival like this in Soul Society so you were curious."

"I never said I was curious," Byakuya stated, "In the Shinō Academy, there were lessons on all festivals in the World of the Living that may cause the rise in Hollow activities. I volunteered to be here during the period because I want to see the dance."

"You want to see the dance?" Ichigo asked, incredulous. He assumed that with Byakuya's noble background the man would have been entertained with many more beautiful dances that required more artistic skills than the Bon Odori, which was just a folk dance that anyone on the street could participate by imitating the professional dancers on the stage.

Byakuya nodded.

"There is a certain beauty in its simplicity."

"Right," Ichigo said, nodding. "You have already seen way too many complex, artistic dances in your noble life that you were bored, so you now find entertainment in something that is simpler. Now I kinda get why you'd chosen to marry a poor peasant when you could have picked any prissy noblewoman."

Ichigo bit his lips and felt like slapping himself upside the head after he spoke his last sentence.

"I don't believe I have ever told you about Hisana."

Ichigo winced slightly, feeling that he might have stepped on Byakuya's landmine and swerved their conversation to a less civil path. He slowly sent a look to Byakuya's direction to gauge the nobleman's reaction so that he could decide whether he should apologize and then scram or he could stay and try to lead the conversation back to a less sensitive subject.

He almost sighed when he realized that there wasn't that certain look in Byakuya's slate eyes that was usually there whenever the Shinigami was about to butcher someone in cold blood. If anything, Byakuya was simply curious as to where Ichigo had heard the story from and why he cared enough to remember.

"No, you haven't," Ichigo said. "Rukia did, though."

"It wasn't her story to tell."

Although he was already risking Byakuya's wrath as it was, Ichigo still felt the urge to defense his friend.

"Well, since it actually involves her, I think she has some right to tell. Besides, I don't think she would ever tell me if I hadn't got frustrated and asked her why she acted all forgiving and loving to you when you had been such a big jerk to her. I guess she only told me the story to shut me up. For what it's worth, she kicked me in the chin before she retold that story and then kicked me again after she finished because, obviously, no one was allowed to say anything bad about her nii-sama."

Byakuya nodded.

"In any case, I'm _not_ criticizing you or your choice of wife," Ichigo continued just to make sure he didn't end up on Byakuya's bad side again – not after all the progress they had made in their relationship. "If anything, I understand. I mean, you can't choose the person you love, right? I'm just saying that it changed my view of you for a much better way. Because obviously a guy who loved a woman enough to break all rules for her and then honor her dying wish for decades couldn't be such a bad guy."

A long silence followed after Ichigo finished his sentence, but before Ichigo could decide to just leave Byakuya be, Lord Kuchiki closed his eyes and replied, "Thank you."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. He didn't know if the nobleman thanked him for saying that he wasn't a bad guy or for understanding why he chose a certain woman as his wife when his family never truly did. Then again, if the years of knowing Byakuya had told him anything about the man at all, it would be that the nobleman was full of conflicts and that the man had been wearing so many masks at the same time for anyone to truly understand him. It was one of the reasons why he always tried to get to know Byakuya better, regardless of the way the nobleman treated him at times.

"Anyway, is the Bon Odori the only thing you like about this whole festival?" Ichigo asked, changing the subject back to what they had previously discussed.

Byakuya blinked at the sudden change of subject, but he seemed to appreciate the thought behind the action.

"Well, other activities in this festival only make me feel left out, since I cannot actually eat any food, play any games, or float any lanterns since I am not in a gigai," Byakuya replied before he glanced at Ichigo and the plastic bowl the teen had been holding. "Speaking of food, you should eat that shaved ice before it all melts away."

"Oh!" Ichigo cried, realizing that he had almost forgotten about the dessert. He took the chance that Byakuya mentioned it to eat whatever remained of the ice then continued walking so that he could find a bin to throw the bowl away after he was done eating. Then a thought hit him. "Wait! Does this mean you didn't just watch but you also participated in the dance as well?"

Since Byakuya didn't deny it right away, Ichigo gave Byakuya a smug look.

"You did, didn't you?" he asked. "Now I really can't wait for nightfall so I'll get to see the great Kuchiki Byakuya dancing Bon Odori. Man, this is gonna be priceless! I should have brought a camera, though I suppose I can just take a picture with my phone."

The Shinigami gave the human a wary look.

"What makes you think that I would join that dance when you are around?"

"Because if you don't, I'd tell everyone you're a lousy dancer?"

Byakuya narrowed his eyes and glared at Ichigo, who gave him yet another very smug smirk in return.

"You really do have a death wish, don't you, Kurosaki Ichigo?"

Ichigo shook his head.

"No, but I really want to see you dance," Ichigo said in all honesty. His brown eyes shone brightly with enthusiasm.

"Why?" Byakuya asked, furrowing his brows.

"Because knowing you, you'd be either remarkably bad or extremely good at it. Either way, it would be interesting to watch," Ichigo said before he added, "and of course, it's because I can't picture you dance. At all. So please, don't decide not to dance because of me. I promise I won't tell anyone or take any pictures. I'll even dance with you if you're nervous about having an audience."

Byakuya once again, narrowed his slate eyes as he looked at the Substitute Shinigami.

"Do you really want to see me dance that much, Kurosaki Ichigo?"

"Yeah, well, mostly I'm just being persistent because you keep refusing to do so," Ichigo replied with a shrug, not wanting to admit that he actually wanted to see Byakuya dancing so much that he would try every way to coax the nobleman into it.

"I'll think about it."

"Fair enough," Ichigo commented before he continued to search for a bin. If the fact that Byakuya hadn't just shunpo off somewhere was any indication, Ichigo felt Byakuya would be more inclined to dance than not to.

After that, time flew by as they continued to discuss about several random subjects that were somehow brought up in their conversation. To be honest, Ichigo didn't expect Byakuya to be a pleasant company, since they came from very different backgrounds and most of the time, they didn't know what each other was talking about, but he supposed the fun part was to try to explain what they were talking about to one another, and each subject often ended with either one of them saying, "You should find a chance to see it for yourself sometimes." And before they noticed how much time had really passed, the sky had become dark and they both could hear drum rolling in the background, indicating that the dance would take place soon.

"Oh. It looks like the dance is about to start. We should head to the yagura," Ichigo said, motioning to where the scaffold stage was, and hoping that Byakuya would decide to dance.

"Yes," Byakuya agreed, "you are supposed to meet up with your father and sisters there, correct?"

Ichigo blinked then hoped that Byakuya didn't catch on to the fact that Ichigo had forgotten that he had an appointment with his father and sisters.

"Right," he replied, "it would still be difficult to find them, though, since everybody is going to gather there."

"You could, of course, try to find them after the dance is over."

"Yeah, and maybe we could dance to pass the time," Ichigo added hopefully.

"We could," the nobleman agreed, and Ichigo had to do his best not to show how happy he was to hear those two words because while people were supposed to be happy during the Bon Festival so that the spirit could feel welcomed, no one was supposed to be that happy just for the thought of someone else joining a folk dance. Besides he would be scaring Byakuya off if he appeared to be overly enthusiastic.

When they arrived to the scaffold stage, the dance had already started. Many people had already gathered around the stage in a big circle and began to dance along by imitating the gestures of the dancers that were leading them on the stage.

The joyous look on everybody's face when they tried to copy all moves from the lead dancers that were dancing around the stage, though they might not be able to dance perfectly, made it impossible for Ichigo not to have a joyful feeling as well.

"This is the reason why I find this dance more enjoyable than others," Byakuya commented. "People are just having fun and no one laughs at anyone if they were being bad at the dance."

Ichigo nodded.

"Yeah, so do you still insist that you will not join the dance? I mean, I'm the only one who'll be able to see you and I'm certainly not gonna laugh."

"Since we're already here, why not?" Byakuya replied, and Ichigo wondered if the joy of the people had actually affected the nobleman's mood. "Though I must say this is the first time I would actually perform this dance in the dance circle."

Ichigo furrowed his brows.

"Huh? Where do you usually do it then? And don't tell me on top of the yagura."

Byakuya gave Ichigo a look that said the Substitute Shinigami had guessed correctly.

"Then you seriously haven't experienced a real Bon Odori, Byakuya. Come on, let's get into the circle."

Ichigo then moved to the circle where people were dancing. He would have grabbed Byakuya's wrist and led the nobleman there, but it would look weird for the people who could not see spirit, and he doubted Byakuya would appreciate that gesture.

Because he intended to watch Byakuya dance, Ichigo chose to stand one step behind Byakuya when he took a moment to look up to the stage so that he could imitate the dancers' movements. After all, he hadn't participated in a Bon Odori in ages, and even if he did join the festival, he only just watched as he claimed that folk dance was really not his forte.

When he turned to Byakuya's direction; however, Ichigo almost forgot that he was supposed to dance, since the graceful way Byakuya moved his arms and body just took Ichigo's breath away. There was something captivating and somewhat otherworldly about the way Byakuya danced. The precision of each movement and clapping made it seem as if the nobleman had practiced that particular dance forever that he could easily put the professional dancers on the stage to shame.

Ichigo would have stood there and watched in a stupor if the people behind him hadn't stepped forward and made him realized he needed to start dancing and following other people's steps, though his moves were very awkward, especially when he compared them to the fluid movements of Byakuya who was dancing right in front of him. A part of him wished everyone else could see the graceful way Byakuya was dancing, but another part of him felt so privileged to be the only one who could see it and did not want to share it with anyone else. It was a strange feeling to have, but he had it anyway.

Minutes had gone by and several songs were sung by the singers to accompany the dance; however, no matter how many songs and how many steps had changed, Byakuya could perfectly keep up with all of them. When there was a song that required dancers to turn around, and Ichigo didn't turn around quickly enough, he caught a glimpse of contentment on Byakuya's face, and he had to say that it was the happiest expression he had seen on that otherwise stoic face, and he was glad he could share the moment with the nobleman. He wished he had taken a picture or two, but then again, it didn't really matter much since the scene had already been imprinted in his mind.

They stopped dancing when the singer decided to change from singing traditional songs to singing a modern pop song as the final song before the dance would officially end for the night. It was then that people began dancing in their own styles, and Ichigo swayed with the music since he happened to know how to dance to modern music, even though he might have been bad at a folk dance.

Byakuya, on the other hand, had stopped completely and looked as though he was lost as to what he should do in that circumstance.

"So you don't know how to do a little street dancing, huh?" Ichigo asked though he had a very good idea what the answer would be. However, instead of waiting to see Byakuya fail at street dancing, which would be entertaining in another way, Ichigo chose to lead Byakuya out of the dance circle. "In fact, does anyone in Seireitei know street dance?"

"I cannot answer that for sure. There are not many social events in Seireitei that require participators to dance."

The answer didn't surprise Ichigo. After all, Soul Society looked like a world that came out of a history book, so he didn't expect them to have any dance parties. If anyone were to dance, he could only imagine the dance to be some kind of traditional dance with certain sets of movements rather than street dances which everyone could dance in free style.

"You're good at the Bon Odori, by the way," Ichigo said, although he believed good was really an understatement for the performance he had seen earlier from Byakuya.

"I'm certain that you only said so because you did not want to get reacquainted with Senbonzakura."

"You're right," Ichigo admitted lightly. "I didn't think it was good. I thought it was spectacular. Anyway, I never expected that there would be a day I would actually say this, but I had a very good time today, so really, Byakuya, thanks for not disappearing once you looked down from the yagura and saw me."

"I should be thanking you for making the day not completely boring."

There was certain lightness to Byakuya's tone that made it impossible for Ichigo not to give that nobleman one of his rare smiles.

"I'm glad to be of any service to you, Byakuya," Ichigo replied.

The pop music that was played in the background had already faded, indicating that the dance had officially ended for that night. People then began to leave the circle, reminding Ichigo that he really needed to go and look his father and sisters before Isshin came up with any stranger ideas how he had spent that whole time away from his family.

"Anyway, I should be looking for my dad and sisters already," Ichigo said. "My dad already has enough crazy ideas as it is."

"Yes, you should," Byakuya agreed.

And while Ichigo should have used that opportunity to say goodbye to Byakuya and then call his father, he opted not to do so as he felt a strange urge to speak to Byakuya just a little longer.

"So you'll be in the World of the Living for two more days, right? I mean, you said you were dispatched to watch over the World of the Living in the Obon period."

"Yes, but I will probably be in a different city in the morrow and the day after, considering there were not any Hollows activities in this area today."

"Oh... right... of course."

There went Ichigo's plan to come to see Byakuya again in the next two days, though when he came to think about it again, he couldn't see why he would want to do so in the first place.

"Well, I should check up with my subordinates and see if there are activities in other towns, so I suppose it's time we said goodbye, Kurosaki Ichigo."

"Yeah, for tonight anyway," Ichigo agreed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'll see you later."

Byakuya gave Ichigo a hint of a smile before he nodded.

"The next time you visit Seireitei, drop by and have some tea."

Ichigo didn't have time to reply when he felt his phone vibrating against his chest, so he furrowed his brows before he instinctively glanced down to the location of the phone. When he looked back to Byakuya, the Shinigami had already gone, though to where Ichigo wasn't sure.

Sighing, Ichigo dug into his yukata for his phone. Then before he actually flipped the phone open and answered it, he looked up into the dark sky and whispered into the wind:

"I'll certainly hold you to that offer, Byakuya."


	5. Battle, Butterfly and Biscuits

A/N: Hello, readers. It's been a while, so if you're reading this, I'm glad you still haven't forgotten this little series. This installment is short in comparison to the previous one, and it's probably a little weird since I've totally been failing at writing romance lately. Thank you for all thoughts and supports for all previous chapters, by the way. As always, all kinds of comments are appreciated.

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><p><em>5: Battle, Butterfly and Biscuits<em>

If anyone were to ask him what the strangest thing he had seen in his time as a Substitute Shinigami was, Ichigo would probably say it was Byakuya being hit by a police car. It was strange because if he had not witnessed the incident with his own eyes, he would have never imagined Byakuya in the same scene as a police car, let alone being hit by one. It was just weird. Too weird.

It happened in one autumn day when Ichigo traveled with his school's football club to have a match with some school in Kagamino City. They were getting ready to get to the field when an alarm went off from his Substitute Shinigami badge, so Ichigo just popped a Soul Candy into his mouth, leaving Kon to play in his place, and then headed out to find where Hollows were attacking.

It didn't take any skill for Ichigo to track down the Hollows. After all, it was difficult to miss them when there were dozens of Hollows flocking down from the sky near a shopping district. It had been a long time since Ichigo saw that many Hollows out on the loose anywhere outside of Hueco Mundo. The Substitute Shinigami wasn't sure if those Hollows were baited in by someone, but it wasn't his duty to investigate the reason. He only needed to slay them all before they could hurt more people and damage more properties than they already had.

When Ichigo arrived, people were running and screaming as they probably thought that those big holes in the street were caused by explosions of some sort.

Ichigo had expected his presence would be unwelcome by the local Shinigami since whoever the Shinigami was, he probably never heard of a Substitute Shinigami's existence. Therefore, the Substitute Shinigami had to be surprised when he reached to the scene and sensed a familiar spiritual presence of one dark-haired, slate-eyed Shinigami captain, Kuchiki Byakuya.

Although he knew that Byakuya was there, he didn't actually saw the captain until a few minutes later because Ichigo himself was too occupied by Hollows that were coming at him from all directions to even bother to think about looking for the Shinigami. It wasn't as if he needed to be worried about Byakuya's well being anyhow, since Byakuya was more than capable of taking care of himself and would probably take it as a personal insult if Ichigo thought even for a second that he needed to worry about him.

Ichigo dashed around the area to slay as many Hollows as possible without using Getsuga Tenshō, fearing that if he did, the energy wave might accidentally hit some innocent bystanders or the nearby properties. Those Hollows had already brought about enough damages and destruction by themselves, so Ichigo needed to do his best not to cause any more casualties.

Having cleared out a few Hollows that were on the ground, Ichigo jumped up to kill the ones that just came out of Hueco Mundo. It was then that he spotted Byakuya killing one Hollow at a corner of the road before he flashed across the street, hoping to rescue one human that was grabbed from the ground and was about to be thrown into a Hollow's mouth.

Then there was a loud thud, and Ichigo had to wince when he saw a police car hitting Byakuya at full speed, since there was no way that the driver could have seen Byakuya running across the street there and stopped before smashing into him.

The picture of the car being dented right after it hit Byakuya and sent the nobleman flying over the roof to land behind the car would have been comical if there wasn't a person in need of a rescue nearby, and Byakuya had yet to get up from that small crater that was caused by Byakuya's landing on the road.

Ichigo flash-stepped toward the Hollow that was trying to eat the person and cut it in half, making its victim fall haphazardly to the ground. Then the Substitute Shinigami bolted to where Byakuya was without sparing a second glance to the victim or the policeman who had unwittingly crashed into Byakuya.

Ichigo had expected that by the time he reached to Byakuya, the Shinigami would have already got back on his feet to give him an annoyed look while brushing some dust off himself. However, Byakuya remained there, unmoved.

Ichigo offered his left hand to Byakuya to help pull him back to his feet even though he had a feeling that Byakuya wouldn't swallow his pride and accept the gesture despite the way he was practically stuck in that small crater. Much to Ichigo's surprise, Byakuya reached up and grabbed on to Ichigo's forearm, but to Ichigo's credit, he remembered to pull the nobleman back to his feet.

"Thank you," Byakuya said before he bent down to pick up the zanpakutō he had dropped when he hit the ground.

"You're welcome."

Ichigo didn't even have enough time to take a good look at Byakuya to make sure that the man wasn't severely injured by the impact, since Byakuya simply stated, "I'll take care of all Hollows in front of me and you take care of the one in front of you. Don't let out too much spiritual power or you'll just draw more Hollows out from Hueco Mundo."

"I know," Ichigo replied solemnly. Although he had never fought in the same battle with Byakuya, except in the three times when they were trying to kill each other; Ichigo still knew that Byakuya would not let one Hollow get past him to creep up on Ichigo from behind and he had a feeling that Byakuya believed the same about him. Therefore, he didn't need to worry about his back or be concerned that Byakuya would get hurt, and he felt strangely reassured. Even so, he still believed it wouldn't hurt to say, "Be careful."

"You too," Byakuya replied. Then both of them were off to take down any Hollows that appeared in their line of sight.

It didn't take long for them to take out all of the invading Hollows although Ichigo couldn't deny that it would be much faster to deal with them if the battle took place in some vast empty area where he could go on his bankai and Byakuya could release Senbonzakura on them.

Once the battle was over, Ichigo found Byakuya on the rooftop of one building, talking on what appeared to be a Soul Phone as he took down a barrier from around what appeared to be two bodies that were soaked in blood. Therefore, Ichigo flash-stepped to stand by Byakuya's side.

"...situation is now under control, although two officers are down and in need of medical assistance."

Once Byakuya hung up the phone, he turned to Ichigo and said;

"I know you wish to return to your daily life, but would you mind staying with them until the medical team arrives? I have a mass memory manipulation to do."

Byakuya then motioned his hand to the two severely injured Shinigami who were probably put there earlier by Byakuya himself.

"Err... sure?" Ichigo replied.

A picture of the nobleman running around, spraying the memory modifier thingy that Ichigo had seen Rukia used a few times on people who witnessed strange supernatural events suddenly popped up in Ichigo's mind, so he was a tad surprised to see that Byakuya had yet to leave the rooftop.

The noble Shinigami merely moved to the edge of the roof before he reached inside his kimono sleeve and pulled something out before he dropped whatever that was down to the crowded street where people were starting to calm down after some police officers came to secure the road while some ambulances rushed in to take the injured people to a nearby hospital.

Before Ichigo could begin to wonder what it was, his attention was taken from Byakuya when a Senkaimon opened behind him to reveal two pairs of Shinigami, each pair carrying a stretcher. They then moved the injured Shinigami onto each stretcher. However, before they left, Byakuya turned around and walked towards them. Ichigo wasn't sure he was imagining things or Byakuya actually staggered slightly as he approached, but it was later confirmed to him that it was not just his imagination when the Shinigami in the medical team voiced his concern to Byakuya.

"Are you hurt, Kuchiki-taichō?" the Shinigami asked, motioning to Byakuya's legs.

Byakuya shook his head.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me and just take care of them."

The medical team gave him a dubious look, but since there were more emergency tasks at hand, they turned their attentions back to the wounded Shinigami and then quickly moved them through the Senkaimon so that they could receive a full treatment in Soul Society.

After all other Shinigami left, Ichigo stared at Byakuya for a moment as if doing so would give him any clue whether he should believe that the captain was really unharmed after that big car crash that could have left an ordinary person with broken shins if not dead.

"If you wish to know something, ask," Byakuya commented.

"Well, about that memory manipulation, do you need any help with that? I mean, there are a lot of people in this area, and you shouldn't be moving around to spray the modifier on them when you've obviously hurt your legs."

"There is more than one method to manipulate humans' memories and I already got that done," Byakuya claimed. "However, if you offered out of concern for the condition of my legs, you should have known that I have survived worse injuries."

That sentence brought Ichigo's eyes to Byakuya's legs. However, there was no way Ichigo would be able to know if there were any injuries hidden underneath that thick hakama pants.

"So you really are injured by that crash. That car must have hit you a lot harder than I thought."

It might have been a statement from Ichigo's side, but it still required a reply from Byakuya nonetheless.

Byakuya sighed and glanced down to his legs. From the look in those slate eyes, Ichigo could only presume that the man was contemplating his plausible responses. It wouldn't surprise Ichigo if the man was trying to find the way to give him just enough information to keep him from poking his nose into Byakuya's business and not more. After all, Byakuya held himself with a certain level of pride and reserve. It would be strange if he were to let Ichigo in on anything important, especially if he perceived it as one of his weaknesses.

"As you should know, the higher spiritual power one possesses the more difficult for one to receive injuries," the captain claimed.

"In other word, that crash shouldn't have hurt you enough to make you limp," Ichigo concluded. "So then why…?"

Ichigo didn't really need to finish his question since he knew Byakuya also knew what he was talking about.

Once again, Captain Kuchiki had that pensive look on his face that said he was searching for the best answer. In the end, he sighed as if he decided to give in. Whether it was because he had decided to trust Ichigo with his story or because Byakuya was too weary to deal with Ichigo's insistence, Ichigo could not tell.

"It is just a case of an old injury acting up," Byakuya explained. "It's nothing you should be worried about."

"An old injury?"

Byakuya sighed once again. He didn't seem to want to further discuss the subject, but he didn't think he could avoid it either – not after he had decided to mention it to Ichigo.

"I was forced to cut my tendons during the fight with an Espada I encountered in Hueco Mundo," said the noble. "I was healed right afterward, of course, but I was not allowed enough recovery time since we were in the middle of the war. To make a long story short, my left leg and left arm have not been operating quite the same ever since. Not that I could complain. I was already fortunate enough that those damages did not leave me crippled."

Ichigo cringed.

"So they're basically your Achilles' heel, you got injured there, but you said there was nothing to be worried about?" Ichigo asked incredulously, feeling like Byakuya was in a serious need for a scolding. "Seriously, Byakuya, could you be any more reckless?"

Byakuya furrowed his brows slightly and gave Ichigo a look that said he wasn't sure why the Substitute Shinigami should care about his well-being. However, the captain didn't actually voice those words and opted to say something else entirely.

"_You_ are calling _me_ reckless?" Byakuya returned. "As far as I'm concerned, between the two of us, you're the more reckless one."

"Don't change the subject."

"Is there really anything more to discuss about this matter, because personally, I'd prefer to return to Soul Society and have my leg checked?"

Ichigo wasn't sure what he was expecting or why he let Byakuya's old injury bothered him when it was Byakuya's own fault he was in that condition to begin with. The nobleman was old enough to know what was good for him, and he even said he would have a check up afterward, so Ichigo didn't know why he couldn't just drop the matter.

"I'll come with you," said the teen.

"Pardon?"

Ichigo rolled his eyes in annoyance before he replied, "I said I'd come with you."

Byakuya furrowed his brows. "Why?"

"Because you were limping just then and Rukia is going to tear my head off if she knew I let you walk home by yourself when you're injured?"

Lord Kuchiki tilted his head slightly as he looked at the Substitute Shinigami. Ichigo might have brought Rukia's name up as a reason, but Byakuya doubted that was all there was to it. After all, despite the way Ichigo often portrayed himself as an anti-hero who couldn't care less about strangers' misfortune; Ichigo was actually a kindhearted person who, in Byakuya's opinion, cared a little too much.

"Rukia is _not_ going to do anything to you because _we_ are not going to mention anything in this conversation to her."

It was a valid argument from Byakuya's side, but it somehow made Ichigo turn to give Byakuya a curious look.

"Rukia doesn't know about those old injuries of yours?"

Byakuya blinked once and wondered if Ichigo was perceptive or his one sentence really revealed that much information to the teen.

The captain drew a breath before he replied calmly, "She knows I was injured in that battle, but she doesn't know how much or why, and I'd like to keep it that way."

"Why?"

"You have two sisters, Kurosaki Ichigo. If you were to get hurt protecting them, would you want it on their consciences?"

Although Byakuya didn't give too much information on what really happened in that battle that left him injured, Ichigo still believed he understood the man's stand point enough to shake his head as a reply.

"If you want to be an unsung hero, then fine, I'm not gonna tell Rukia; but I'm still coming with you."

"If you're offering this out of pity, don't bother. I won't break just because of a short walk back to Soul Society."

The Substitute Shinigami rolled his eyes.

"I'm not offering out of pity, Byakuya. This is actually my excuse to go to Soul Society and have that tea you once offered."

It was, obviously, not Ichigo's true intention, and he believed Byakuya also knew it, which was why he wasn't surprised when the nobleman called his bluff.

"I never knew you like tea."

"Not really, no, but Rukia once mentioned that you serve killer chocolate biscuits at your calligraphy club."

It was the truth. In fact, Rukia had even made Ichigo try some of those biscuits just so he had to agree with her. Ichigo had to say they tasted nice, despite how they were cut into a shape of the Wakame Taishi, which was a design that he believed only the Kuchiki siblings were able to understand the appeal.

"So?" Byakuya prompted.

"So I'm a big fan of chocolate."

An amused gleam flashed behind Byakuya's gray eyes as he shook his head slightly.

"So you are telling me that you would go all your way to Soul Society just because of a cup of tea and some chocolate biscuits?"

Ichigo shrugged. "Is that a problem?"

Byakuya chuckled softly before he shook his head.

"No, not at all," said the nobleman. "Let's go to Soul Society, then."

As Byakuya opened the Senkaimon with his zanpakutō, Ichigo came to realize one problem that hadn't crossed his mind until the gate was opening right in front of them, and then he simply froze there in front of the gate. Normally, he would have no problem crossing over through the danger of the Dangai. However, no matter what he might have said to Byakuya about his intention to go to Soul Society, his actual reason for insisting to go there with Byakuya was to make sure that the nobleman truly didn't hurt himself too badly and to see to it that Byakuya made it back to his home safely. Therefore, it would serve no purpose if Byakuya were to return on a normal path and Ichigo would have to travel through the Dangai.

When he came to think about it again, he might just be a worrywart because if Byakuya could still move around and kill all those Hollows after being hit by that car, it should have already been clear to him that the man wouldn't have any problem getting back to Soul Society on his own. Not to mention, there was no way they could travel back together, since Ichigo would be sent directly to the Dangai as he didn't have his own Hell's butterfly while Byakuya would continue on whatever path that the Shinigami used. And it wouldn't make any sense for him to ask a man who seemed to have injured his legs to use the same path as him and risk facing the danger of the Dangai's very own janitor. However, he had already told Byakuya he would come with him, so it would be strange to back out just then.

Ichigo slowly turned to Byakuya, who gave him a look that said he had seen that problem all along but had not bothered to point it out perhaps just to see Ichigo's reaction when he realized his folly.

"Err..."

Once again, there was a hint of amusement in Byakuya's expression, but it faded almost as quickly as it was there. The nobleman then pulled a small glass jar which had something that appeared to be a small black butterfly inside out of his sleeve and handed it to Ichigo. However, instead of accepting it right away, Ichigo just stared at the jar with an incredulous look.

"Seriously?" Ichigo asked. "You're carrying around a spare jigokuchō with you just in case someone wants a free ride to Soul Society?"

"No, I'm not," Byakuya replied as he all but shoved the jar into Ichigo's hand so that the boy would accept it. "I happened to be asked to evaluate whether this jigokuchō had been given enough training to be used to guide a Shinigami through the Senkaimon. However, I was ordered to come to the World of the Living to dispatch Hollows before I had a chance to evaluate it properly or even to leave it at my desk. Since you insisted to come back to Soul Society with me, it would be a good opportunity for you to take this jigokuchō on a test run."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes.

"And just when I was beginning to think that he might like me a little," Ichigo muttered under his breath, turning the jar lid in order to let the butterfly out. Then he raised his voice to its normal volume and asked, "How am I supposed to use it, by the way?"

"You only need to release it. If the jigokuchō is well trained, you'll be shown a path to Soul Society, but if not, I'm sure you already know what the Dangai looks like."

Since there was no way his journey to Soul Society could get any worse than any other times he had gone there, Ichigo decided to release the Hell's butterfly just as Byakuya had suggested. Fortunately, when he stepped into the Senkaimon, he was shown to a much cleaner and safer path, and also Byakuya was still walking beside him with their butterflies flying off ahead of them.

"Seriously, where can I get me one of this?" Ichigo asked as he walked down the straight path that would certainly lead them to Seireitei, maintaining a rather close distance to Byakuya just in case. However, despite his abnormally slow pace, Byakuya didn't show a sign that he would limp or fall. "I'm sick of being chased by the janitor every time I come to Soul Society."

"I'll see what I can do about that."

Ichigo blinked at the unexpected response from the man who was walking slowly by his side. To be honest, he didn't really know how Byakuya was going to respond to his remark, but that was certainly not the reply he thought he would ever hear from the nobleman.

"Thanks, I guess," the Substitute Shinigami eventually replied. "It seems you really kinda begin to like me."

Byakuya didn't stop or even turn around to give Ichigo's a look that said the teen was being absurd. Instead, he kept on walking to the end of the tunnel where Soul Society would be as he commented:

"You can feel free to assume whatever you wish, Kurosaki Ichigo," he said. "After all, you might not be exactly wrong."

"Huh?"

Byakuya said nothing else as he simply made an exit from the Senkaimon, leaving Ichigo alone between the two realms with the borrowed butterfly. Ichigo blinked for a couple of times before he followed the man out through one of the Senkaimon in Seireitei; however, Byakuya had already disappeared by that time, possibly to the Fourth Division to get his legs checked as he had said he would do earlier.

Although Ichigo had planned to return to the World of the Living once he was assured that Byakuya returned safely to Soul Society, since he didn't really trust Kon all that much with his body; Ichigo changed his mind and decided to just track Byakuya down by the man's spiritual presence.

Because after everything that had been said and done that day, he believed it would be okay to really stay for some tea and cookies.


	6. Interrogation, Denial and Annoyance

A/N: For those who keep reading and commenting, thank you for your continuous support. This chapter is different from all the previous ones, although I cannot say if it was a good thing or a bad thing so I'll leave you to do the judging. Please let me know about what you think about this installment (or the previous ones if you haven't already). Till next update.

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><p><em>6: Interrogation, Denial and Annoyance<em>

Ever since she had been promoted to be the lieutenant of the Thirteenth Division, Rukia often found herself working on her day off because her captain often got sick and left his workload to her and the two third seats to finish. However, since Ukitake had been in his best condition in the past week, all work was done without her and the third seats having to work over time, so Rukia had time to go out shopping before she would have to return later in the afternoon to the Kuchiki Mansion where she had appointed to meet with one Kurosaki Ichigo.

Talking about the Substitute Shinigami, he had crossed over to Soul Society almost every weekend. Rukia suspected it might have something to do with the fact that Ichigo had somehow acquired himself a Hell's butterfly which made his journey to Soul Society that much less troublesome.

As much as Rukia was glad to be able to see her best friend more often, she was also annoyed by speculations from everyone in Seireitei. At first, it was just Renji inquiring her why Ichigo often came to spend time with her and if he had any hidden intentions that Renji should know about; then it was the fellow members of the Shinigami Women's Association trying to interrogate her about the nature of her relationship with the Substitute Shinigami. It seemed everyone in the entire Seireitei was led to believe that Ichigo came to Soul Society weekly with an intention to court her, but no matter how hard she tried to explain that they were merely friends, no one seemed to be convinced. They even said to her that she was just too ignorant to see Ichigo's subtle advance.

After the first couple of months, Rukia simply gave up and decided it would be best to let people believe whatever they wanted to believe. After all, no one would believe her even if she tried to explain that if Ichigo had any hidden intentions towards anyone at all, it would not be towards her despite the way he always said that the main purpose for each of his visit was to see her.

Shaking the thought about Ichigo out of her head, Rukia headed into a shop which sold Chappy merchandises, intending to buy the new Chappy pillow that had just been released the previous week. However, she had yet to be able to look at said pillow when she was approached by the lieutenant with shoulder-length strawberry blond hair, Matsumoto Rangiku.

"Oh, hey, Rukia! Why are you shopping here alone?" the lieutenant asked. "Shouldn't you be with Ichigo already?"

The mention of Ichigo made Rukia furrow her brows.

"What are you talking about, Rangiku-san? Why would I be with Ichigo?"

It was Matsumoto's turn to furrow her eyes in confusion.

"Well, I saw Ichigo passing through the Senkaimon a little over half an hour ago, and when I greeted him, he said he was coming here to see you, so I thought you would have already been with him by now."

"Eh?" Rukia widened her eyes in surprised. "What time is it now, Rangiku-san?"

"It's half past one," Matsumoto replied. "Now, now, I'd say it's okay for us girls to show up a little late for a date, so the guy wouldn't think we're too eager to see him, but it's not a good idea to make him wait for too long or he'd just get bored and go find someone else. Men are just that fickle, so you should hurry up and go to see him now, Rukia."

Rukia almost opened her mouth and say that she wasn't dating Ichigo and that if anything, Ichigo was probably with 'someone else' already, but she recalled how futile it would be so she simply closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She hoped her expression and her voice wouldn't betray her when she forged a smile at Matsumoto and replied sweetly:

"Well, you're right, Rangiku-san. I shouldn't have kept Ichigo waiting for too long."

Once she left the shop and one Matsumoto Rangiku behind, Rukia's expression suddenly turned grim. That did it. She really was going to have a conversation about the rumor with Ichigo. She might have been able to put up with his roundabout way of doing things so far, but nothing could go between her and her Chappy shopping even if it was Ichigo.

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><p>As predicted, the moment she stepped foot inside the gate of the Kuchiki Mansion, she was approached by one of the servants who came to inform her, "Kurosaki Ichigo-dono is in the living room, expecting you, Rukia-sama."<p>

"Yes, I know," Rukia replied. "How long has he been waiting by himself?"

"I believe he has arrived twenty minutes ago, but Byakuya-sama is keeping him company at the moment."

Rukia nodded, narrowing her eyes.

"I see. I'll head to the living room immediately. Thanks for letting me know."

With that said, Rukia headed down the wooden porch that would lead the way to the living room.

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><p>Although it was quite a long walk from the front gate to the living room of the main house and it would save a lot of time if Rukia were to reach there with the help of her shunpo; Rukia chose to take her time walking to the living room so she could list all subjects that she wished to speak to her best friend. Therefore, she didn't reach to the living room until five minutes later.<p>

Once she reached to the living room, she stood at the side of the open shoji screen for a moment to take a deep breath and put on her best expression since she knew her brother would also be present at the scene. However, she later learned that there hadn't really been any need for her to hide at the side before she made her presence known, since both men seemed to be too absorbed by their conversation that neither of them noticed she was there even though Rukia hadn't cloaked her spiritual presence at all.

Clearing her throat to announce her arrival, Rukia then directed a bright smile at her brother who only showed a sign of surprise by blinking once before he turned his gaze to her direction.

"Oh. So now that my sister is here, I shall leave you two together," Byakuya said, ending whatever kind of conversation they had been having previously in a swift. "Good day, Kurosaki Ichigo."

Ichigo blinked twice before he flashed Byakuya a smile and nodded.

"Oh, okay, well, then, see you later, Byakuya."

Byakuya nodded and rose to his feet before he headed for the door. Stopping at Rukia's side, the nobleman asked, "Will you be home for dinner?"

Although it was a simple question, Rukia couldn't help thinking that it might imply that her brother also shared the same assumption with everyone else in Seireitei and believed that she and Ichigo were dating to the point that they would go out and have dinner together, and the thought made her cringe inwardly. It was one thing for everybody to believe so, but it was another if her brother was actually under that same impression as well.

"I certainly will, nii-sama. After all, Ichigo won't be staying that long," Rukia replied, although there was no way for her to tell if that answer was enough to hint to her brother that nothing was going on between her and that orange-haired teen, since Byakuya simply acknowledged the answer with a nod then left the room.

Once she was sure her brother was no longer within a hearing range, she directed a glare at Ichigo, who glared back at her with the look that seemed to say that he didn't really expect her to be there that early.

"Hello, Ichigo," she greeted darkly.

"Hey, Rukia. You're sure home early today."

"Of course, I'm early. I was told you have already arrived and prompted to return so that you wouldn't have to wait for too long. Now, Ichigo, I've always told myself I wouldn't mention this, but I've had enough," Rukia said before she walked into the middle of the room where Ichigo was sitting to stare down at him with arms akimbo. "So, are you going to come clean yourself or do I have to ask?"

It appeared her post was still not intimidating enough, since Ichigo tilted his head up and deepened his scowl before he glared back at her.

"What the heck are you talking about, midget?"

Rukia narrowed her eyes.

"You won't get away with your stupid act today, you stupid berry. Now speak. What is your intention towards nii-sama?"

"I don't have any intentions towards your brother," he claimed. And when he saw that Rukia had not ceased to stare at him, he added, "What? Are you saying I can't talk to another guy without having any weird intentions?"

Again, Rukia narrowed her eyes. She wasn't quite sure if Ichigo was playing stupid, or he was really clueless about his own actions in the past months.

"You don't have weird intentions?"

"That's exactly what I said."

"Really?" she said, unconvinced. "Then how do you explain your showing up here two hours prior to our appointment? And I when I said here I didn't mean here in Soul Society, I meant here in my house."

Ichigo looked like he was a kid who was caught with his hands in a cookie jar for a moment before he shrugged and gave Rukia the lamest excuse she believed she had ever heard from him, "I don't want to be late and get scolded by you?"

"You don't want to be late and get scolded by me? Seriously, Ichigo?" Rukia rolled her eyes. "I'd think that when you have two hours to spare, you'd drop by to spend time with Renji or with those guys from the Eleventh Division – you know, your friends – but you are here talking to nii-sama."

"Byakuya is also a friend, you know?"

"Really? That's all you think of him? A friend?"

Ichigo actually looked annoyed by that time.

"Yeah. Unlike the guys at the Eleventh Division, your brother doesn't challenge me to a duel every time we meet, nor does he think that Shakespeare was some guy who went around shaking a spear, so we can have intellectual discussions about literature. Also, unlike you, Byakuya doesn't yell my ear out every time we meet. So really, Rukia, is it a crime to want to spend a few minutes talking to him?"

Rukia didn't reply right away. Instead she took her time to look carefully at her friend, trying to figure out if that was really all that Ichigo thought about her brother. After all, Ichigo seemed to be honest when he explained his reasons. Still, if that was all there was to it, Ichigo shouldn't have any trouble telling everyone that he would drop by to see Byakuya. He didn't really need to use Rukia's name as a cover as if his meeting with Byakuya was supposed to be a highly guarded secret.

"A few minutes, you say," Rukia snickered, "try hours. Don't tell me you didn't notice lately you only say hello to all other friends and then tell them you'd head off to see me."

"Actually, I never said I'd go off to see you," Ichigo corrected. "I just told them I'd drop by at Rukia's which means the Kuchiki Mansion."

"Yeah, you might have said that, but how many people would actually think you would be spending time talking to nii-sama?" Rukia said before she sighed. "Oh, well, it doesn't really matter. It's not like I'd be jealous of nii-sama or try to beat you up if you really intended to court him, but you know, Ichigo, it'd save me a lot of trouble if you'd just admit that every time you're here, you're here to see nii-sama."

"I'm _not_ intending to 'court' Byakuya," Ichigo claimed, "and how am I supposed to explain to Byakuya if he ever asked me why I wanted to see him?"

Rukia rolled her eyes at Ichigo's question before she tore her violet eyes from Ichigo and looked at the small table where a small plate of chocolate biscuits in the shape of the Wakame Taishi were served along with cups of high quality tea.

"Trust me, he wouldn't ask," Rukia commented. "But if he did, I think you're safe to tell him the truth and say that you want to drop by for a friendly chat."

Ichigo shook his head. There was a troubled look in his expression when he said, "You know he's only nice to me because I happen to be your friend and happen to have some value to Soul Society, right?"

"Nah, if that's the case, nii-sama wouldn't have bothered to come out and keep you company for hours. He'd only order the servant to serve you some drink and then continue to mind his own business."

"He's just being a generous host."

Rukia sighed, exasperated.

"Whatever! You and nii-sama can keep doing things the roundabout way all you guys like. I don't care! Just stop giving people the wrong impression that you're here to court me, because I'm sick and tired of hearing people asking me why I'm not on a date with you when you are already in Soul Society."

Ichigo didn't look all too concerned when he suggested, "You can just tell them the truth, you know."

"Do you think I haven't tried, you idiot?! I have, so many times, but no one wants to believe me," Rukia growled, "and you know what's worse? I think nii-sama might be under that impression, too."

That time, Ichigo's chocolate eyes became as wide as a saucer.

"No way. He wouldn't just believe that crap too."

"Oh, there's a way all right. Actually before he left, nii-sama asked me if I'd be home for dinner which means he thought I'd go out and have dinner with you after this, which probably means that he thought we were dating."

Ichigo grimaced at the thought.

"But you told him we weren't dating, right?"

Somehow the agitated look on Ichigo's face lifted Rukia's mood. After all, he seemed very indifferent when Rukia told him what other people thought about their relationship, but he couldn't keep his cool when she mentioned that her brother might be under the same impression. And Ichigo was telling her he had no weird intentions towards her brother.

"Seriously, Ichigo, you weren't bothered when I told you what everyone else thought, but then you get all worked up when I mentioned nii-sama might believe so too, and you still want me to believe that you don't have any weird intentions towards nii-sama?"

Ichigo opened his mouth and made a few gestures with his hands as if he was trying to look for the best way to explain himself, but he couldn't come up with the right words.

Rukia smiled evilly.

"You know what, Ichigo? Never mind. If nii-sama ever asked, I'd just explain to him that I'm not the Kuchiki that you're trying to woo."

Ichigo's jaw dropped for a moment before he finally found his voice and yelled, "For the last time, Rukia, I'm not trying to 'woo' Byakuya."

"Yet," Rukia added.

"Ever," Ichigo hotly corrected.

Rukia scoffed.

"Yeah, right. Whatever you say, Ichigo." Rukia then took a deep breath and asked, "Anyway, what's your reason for coming here to see me this time?"

Ichigo shrugged.

"I don't know. I kinda forgot it when you were yelling at me earlier," he said. "Anyway, I think I'd better head back home, coz you're kinda impossible to talk to right now. Seriously, how people actually believe that I'd be attracted to you when you're such a sadistic midget is beyond me."

"Yeah, how could they, when you're more into a guy who had attempted on your life thrice and come very close to succeeding each time?"

"There's no point in arguing with you, is there?" Ichigo said, rolling his eyes in exasperation.

"So you admit it."

"I don't. Don't put words into my mouth, jeez!" Ichigo grunted. "I'm going now. Say goodbye to Byakuya for me."

With that, Ichigo was off, leaving Rukia alone in the living room.

The adopted Kuchiki rolled her eyes after her friend was gone. Strangely enough trying to corner Ichigo didn't make her mood any better than before. It only made her more frustrated. Therefore, she decided that the only way to correct her mood was to go back out to buy that new Chappy product, so she headed out toward the direction of the front gate.

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><p>On her way out, Rukia found her brother standing on a bridge above the koi pond, feeding the fish, and since there was no way for her to avoid him if she wished to go back out, Rukia had no choice but to approach him.<p>

"Nii-sama."

"I saw your friend heading off with shunpo earlier," Byakuya remarked. "Should I take it that you two fought again?"

"Well, it's not like I wanted to fight him, nii-sama, but Ichigo was being his stupid self, again, so it was impossible not to."

Byakuya nodded as if he could understand where his sister was coming from.

"Even if that is the case, Kurosaki Ichigo is still a good man, and it is not often that you would find a loyal friend like him," Byakuya commented softly. "You should value your relationship with him instead of fighting with him every other meeting."

If she had heard the same lines from Byakuya a few months earlier, she would have probably wondered where those lines came from. However, since she knew that her brother had spent quite a lot of time with Ichigo of late, it wasn't all that surprising to hear them coming from his mouth.

"I know, nii-sama, but I can't help it when Ichigo keeps getting on my nerves," she said. "Seriously, I don't know how anyone can think even for a second that he and I are dating."

Rukia then furrowed her brows as she recalled that her brother might have also been under the impression that she and Ichigo were romantically involved even though they were not and would never be.

Recalling what she had spoken with Ichigo earlier, Rukia found herself asking, "You don't also believe that Ichigo and I are dating, do you, nii-sama?"

Byakuya lifted his eyebrow. "Is there a reason for me to believe so?"

"No, nii-sama, no reason at all," Rukia quickly replied, "Ichigo and I didn't, don't and will never see each other in that way."

Again, Byakuya quirked an eyebrow.

"You sound very certain."

"Of course, nii-sama. I don't think of him as a guy, and if Ichigo would be interested in anyone in Soul Society, it would be—"

Rukia bit her tongue just before she could finish her sentence. She might have threatened Ichigo that she would tell her brother that the boy was attracted to him, but regardless of their fight and how much he had annoyed her, he was still her best friend, and she wasn't about to sell him out, not even to her own brother. However, she might still have talked too much, so she prayed that her brother would be his indifferent self and dismissed that sentence entirely, since Ichigo's love life wasn't supposed to be something that her brother would want to concern himself with.

Silence fell between them for a moment until Rukia gulped down her nervousness and added, "Well, you probably wouldn't care about that stupid berry's love life. Not that I think he'd ever have one anyway, being as cowardly as he is."

Another silence fell, and Rukia felt that she should just excuse herself and go out shopping, since she didn't think she could afford another awkward silence. However, before she could excuse herself, Byakuya suddenly remarked:

"Kurosaki Ichigo isn't a coward, Rukia. If he doesn't act, then it is either he doesn't want it or he just doesn't know what he truly desires yet."

Rukia blinked before she responded with a not-noble-like, "Huh?" and then asked, "Did you just speak in Ichigo's defense?"

"Now why would I do that?" Byakuya wondered.

Rukia was itching to give her brother a piece of her mind, but then she stopped herself, knowing that it wasn't really her place to say anything.

Her brother wasn't stupid, and he should be able to read Ichigo just as well as Rukia could if not slightly better, since he and Ichigo were the only two people who knew what kind of conversation they had been having during those hours Ichigo spent with him under a pretense that he was waiting for Rukia to return to the house. For all she knew, her brother might have already seen through Ichigo's intentions and somehow been waiting for that teen to make the first move before he would decide how to react.

But of course, she could be reading too much into things, and her brother might not be interested in Ichigo in that way, and Ichigo might have been honest when he said he had no weird intentions towards her brother, so she would just make it awkward between them if she said the wrong thing.

"Right, nii-sama, why would you?" Rukia agreed, though with less sarcasm in her tone than when she spoke to Ichigo. "Anyway, I'd be off now. So, I suppose I'll see you again at dinner?"

Byakuya nodded. "Yes, Rukia. I'll see you at dinner. Have a pleasant time."

With that, Byakuya turned his attention back to the koi pond, indicating that it was time for Rukia to make her way across that bridge they had been standing on and went off shopping, so Rukia did.

There was no way for Rukia to foresee how things would progress between Ichigo and her brother in the future. Therefore, she decided it would be best not to dwell on the matter (if there were any matter to dwell on at all) and just step back to watch as everything unfolded. After all, she could never go wrong with that choice.


	7. Moon, Tea and Fireworks

A/N: As always, thank you for reviewing/following/favorite the story. I think it's now official that from this chapter on, this story will take an alternative timeline from Bleach#501: "Hear. Fear. Here" because there is something I want to write, but I doubt it would go in the same direction as Kubo-sensei is going to take his manga. Even so, this installment still contains some spoilers up to chapter 501. So there you have it. Please enjoy.

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><p><em>7: Moon, Tea and Fireworks<em>

After the Gotei 13 had claimed their final victory against the Quincy in what was dubbed as the Thousand Years Blood War, though not without a great number of casualties; people were holding feasts all over Soul Society to celebrate said victory and honored all Shinigami whose lives were lost in the war.

Not in the mood or the condition to celebrate, Captain Kuchiki opted to stay home and watch the night sky that would occasionally be brightened up by random fireworks that people lit in order to celebrate. He was too tired both physically and mentally to meet anyone at that point.

If he were to be honest, Byakuya was surprised he survived that war without far worse injuries. The Quincy had been very strong and extremely well organized, and if those alone were not enough, they were also equipped with many deadly tricks. They had been successful at stealing his and three other captains' bankai in their first encounter, forcing the Shinigami to rely on their other skills in their battles.

While Byakuya managed to survive, though very barely; things were so much worse in other parts of Seireitei. Hundreds of Shinigami were killed within mere minutes, and all hopes were almost lost. It seemed to him Soul Society would fall apart within less than an hour, but once again, it was thanks to Kurosaki Ichigo's assistance that they were able to turn the situation around and eventually claimed victory in the war.

Thinking about the Substitute Shinigami, Byakuya believed the teen was invited to stay in Soul Society to celebrate with them as their guest of honor. Unlike Byakuya, Ichigo couldn't come up with any excuse not to join the feast, so Lord Kuchiki suspected the Substitute Shinigami was still out there somewhere in the city, being the focus of all attentions regardless of whether that boy wished for it or not.

Byakuya sighed softly. Despite his claim that he wanted to be home to rest, he was unable to sleep with all the thoughts of the recent battle still haunting him. Therefore, he was sitting there on top of the roof of his bedroom, watching the pale crescent moon while holding a cup of tea between his hands.

Since he had dismissed all the servants so that they could go out to join the feast if they felt like doing so, Byakuya didn't expect to be disturbed by anyone that night. However, his solitude didn't last long before it was interrupted by a certain boy with vibrant orange hair who came jumping across the roof of his house, instead of coming in through the front door like every other time.

Byakuya almost dropped his tea cup when Kurosaki Ichigo suddenly appeared in front of him with a trademark scowl on his face; however, to the nobleman's credit, he managed to hold on to his cup and then set it down on a small table which was placed at his right-hand side where the rest of the tea set was.

"Aren't you supposed to be at the feast, Kurosaki Ichigo?" Byakuya asked.

"I was," Ichigo said, "but now that everyone seems drunk, I think it's okay for me to just escape. To tell you the truth, I'm not used to that level of attention."

Byakuya eyed Ichigo for a moment before he commented, "Could have fooled me."

Ichigo rolled his eyes in response.

"What about you, Byakuya? Why are you sitting on the roof? I thought you didn't join the party because you were injured and needed a rest."

"That was my excuse, yes."

"So you weren't badly injured?" Ichigo asked again, as if to make sure.

"Do I look badly injured?"

Because of the question, Ichigo allowed himself to take yet another careful look at Byakuya from head to toe. Although he could see bandages around the nobleman's forearm and torso, which implied that there were some injuries underneath them; Ichigo had seen Byakuya survive more fatal injuries so he didn't think he should really be worried.

"Not really," Ichigo replied, as relief flashed behind his brown eyes. "To tell you the truth, I kinda freaked out when I heard from Akon-san that your bankai was stolen by the Quincy – well, yours and three other captains', in fact. And it didn't help much to get out of the Garganta and hear that you were already struck down by the enemy at that time. For a moment there, I thought you wouldn't make it, but I guess I shouldn't have been worried, eh?"

Byakuya closed his eyes for a moment. In any other circumstances, his pride as a nobleman and a captain of the Sixth Division would have already commanded him to shoot the concern down. However, Byakuya was still slightly shaken by the battle, and a part of him was touched by Ichigo's genuine concern, so he couldn't find it in him to do so.

"You shouldn't have," Byakuya remarked, "however, I appreciate your concern, and I am sure that everyone else does as well."

Ichigo gave Byakuya a light, sheepish smile in response.

"When I think about how the enemies can steal bankai, it kinda makes me think that I should start learning some other Shinigami's skills, you know," said the Substitute Shinigami, changing the subject slightly. "I mean, I was lucky that they couldn't steal my bankai for some reason, but if they had been able to, I would have had no other means to battle them because Zangetsu is pretty much all I have."

"You know how to shunpo, so I suppose if the worst happened, you could still use that to run away," Byakuya stated lightly. "Then again, you probably do not know how – to run away, I mean."

The Substitute Shinigami rolled his eyes.

"Thanks for thinking so highly of me," Ichigo replied sarcastically. Then, as if he had just realized he had been standing all that time while he was having a conversation with Byakuya who had probably already strained his neck to look up at him, Ichigo asked, "Mind if I sit down?"

"Go ahead," Byakuya replied.

Ichigo didn't need another invitation. He glanced around the huge space on the roof and decided to sit down to Byakuya's left, rather close to the man but still with enough space between them not to invade too much into Byakuya's personal space.

Meanwhile Byakuya turned slightly to his right, and then filled an empty tea cup with hot water from a kettle before he used the water from the cup to refill a teapot that was already filled with some infused tea leaves. After he waited for a moment for the tea leaves to be steeped, Byakuya poured all the tea into that cup then turned back towards Ichigo and offered him the cup of green tea.

"I'm afraid I don't have any confectionery to go with the tea."

"That's okay," Ichigo said as he accepted the tea. His fingers accidentally brushed against Byakuya's as he did. "I know you don't like sweets and you aren't expecting any company tonight."

Byakuya raised his eyebrow slightly when he looked at the teen as if trying to figure out where Ichigo got that information.

"Well, I kinda notice you never ate any of the confectioneries that were served with tea whenever I visited your house," Ichigo answered the question in Byakuya's eyes before he sipped the tea that Byakuya had just brewed. "Am I wrong?"

"No. Your observation is correct," Byakuya replied. He turned to pick up his own tea cup and took a small sip before he asked, "By the way, I don't believe you have said why you're here."

Ichigo was in the middle of lifting his tea cup of to his lips while Byakuya asked his question, so he halted for a moment. It seemed to Byakuya that Ichigo was contemplating what would be his best answer, but then he shrugged, giving Byakuya the impression that he decided just to give him the plain truth.

"To check on you, actually," he admitted. "I mean, I didn't see you at the city hall when most captains showed up there to celebrate, so I got a bit worried, you know, since your bankai got stolen by some Quincy and all."

Ichigo actually looked embarrassed by his own explanation, and the way Byakuya quirked his eyebrow with an amused gleam in his eyes certainly didn't help the matter.

"And if I were not sitting right up here but were resting as I claimed I would be, would you barge into my room just to check?" Byakuya asked, feeling like messing with the younger man's head just a little further.

If Ichigo hadn't already been embarrassed before, he would have been because of that question. There was a faint blush on his face when he replied:

"Er... actually, I didn't plan that much ahead. I'd probably just ask one of your servants if you're okay then I'd head back off, but then I spotted you sitting up here, so I decided to just drop by to say hello."

"Hello, then, Kurosaki Ichigo."

"Hello," Ichigo returned hesitantly, feeling awkward all of a sudden since he had no idea where to lead their conversation from that point on.

Byakuya probably noticed it as well, since he asked, "How was the feast, by the way?"

"It was... what can I say? Crowded?" Ichigo replied with a shrug. Then he furrowed his brows and added, "And strange."

"Strange?" Byakuya prompted.

Ichigo nodded.

"Yeah, you see, at first I was just chatting up with some friends, but then the next minute I was approached by several people who came to either praise me for some heroic actions I was supposed to have done or to thank me for saving their or their relatives' lives or something like that," Ichigo said, cringing slightly at the thought. "It's strange because it's like everyone knows who I am when I don't even know who they are or what I've done for them to thank me. I mean, sure I've helped a bit in the war, but that's it. Surely I don't deserve anyone's gratitude."

Byakuya tilted his head and looked carefully at Ichigo, who was taking yet another sip of tea. For a moment, he wondered if the boy was being humble or he truly had no idea how much he had done for Soul Society in the course of two years that he had become a Substitute Shinigami or how many lives he had touched and changed for the better; then the captain decided it was the latter.

"You don't give yourself enough credit, Kurosaki Ichigo," he observed. "Whether you are aware of it or not; ever since you've become a Substitute Shinigami, you have done many things and touched many people's lives in many different ways. Your influences also helped to shape Soul Society into something better than what it had always been before. If those were not enough to call for gratitude, then you also played a huge part in defeating Aizen Sōsuke and in ending the thousand-year feud with the Quincy. I doubt anyone can say your actions were insignificant."

Ichigo turned to give Byakuya an incredulous look. Regardless how much their relationship had evolved from their first encountered, it seemed the boy still found it difficult to believe that Byakuya could say good things about him.

"Okay, I'm pretty sure what we've been drinking is tea, so what kind of drug did they prescribe for your injuries?" Ichigo asked, earning himself yet another quirk of an eyebrow from Byakuya. "You wouldn't say this to me under a normal circumstance."

"I'm not on any drugs, Kurosaki Ichigo," Lord Kuchiki assured. If he was unhappy with Ichigo's implication, he did not show it through his expression. "I merely spoke from a point of view of a person who is personally indebted to you."

Ichigo deepened his scowl.

"You're not indebted to me in any way, Byakuya."

"Must I really go into details?" the captain wondered. The irritated look behind his slate eyes told Ichigo that he really hoped he wouldn't have to, but should Ichigo truly required further explanation, he would still elaborate.

Ichigo narrowed his eyes. If a look behind his umber eyes was anything to go by, he didn't really want to hear those details any more than Byakuya wished to elaborate them. However, he still felt he needed to know it in order to convince Byakuya that he required no gratitude from the man.

"Yeah, I'm afraid so," Ichigo replied, "because as far as I'm concerned I still haven't done anything that deserves your gratitude – not consciously, at least."

"So we're going to play this game again, aren't we?"

When Ichigo came to think about it, they had been in that same kind of situation before. However, back then it was Ichigo who was trying to explain why he needed to thank Byakuya while the older Shinigami had done a great job at brushing off Ichigo's gratitude. The thought made Ichigo smirk in response.

"I really doubt you have a gift to offer along with your gratitude, but yeah, I guess we are close enough," Ichigo replied lightly.

"You don't know that for sure," Byakuya commented. However, before Ichigo could begin to wonder if Byakuya really had a gift to offer him, the nobleman continued, "So, where should I begin?"

Ichigo gave him a shrug.

"From the start would be nice."

Byakuya took a moment to think before he stated, "In that case, I suppose I should say that you have reintroduced me to my volition."

"Volition?"

Lord Kuchiki nodded slightly before he looked down into the cup of tea he was holding between his hands as he contemplated on how much he should reveal.

"Ever since I was born, everything had been planned out for me. I would follow the family's tradition and become a Shinigami, then at a certain age, I was to wed a noblewoman that the elders had chosen for me, and afterward I would succeed my grandfather's title and become yet another perfect head to the Kuchiki Clan.

"I might not have been the most obedient child you would find in Seireitei, but I never strayed from the path that had been set for me by my elders. After all, I always thought it was the best path that could be set for anyone, since it would only lead to an honorable and secure way of life, and I never felt that I wanted my life to be in any other way. I was always content with the way it was. Then along came Hisana.

"She was just a common girl from Rukongai. She had nothing to compare to the lady who was once my intended whether it was blood wise, brain wise or beauty wise. She was not a part of the plan."

"But you fell in love with her anyway," Ichigo added.

Byakuya nodded.

"For the first time in my life, I truly wanted something for myself. I found out that up until then I was never truly happy with the path that had been written for me. I just never had any reasons to stray from that path before. Therefore, I decided to fight for her. In doing so, I broke several rules of my house, and I had also caused a rift with an influential noble clan. I never regret marrying Hisana. If there were any regrets, it was only that our time was too short. However, it didn't mean that I didn't feel any guilt. After Hisana died and I adopted her sister into my family, I decided to redeem myself to the eyes of my family. I have vowed never to break any more rules regardless of the circumstance. I would follow my orders without questions. I would be a perfect role model of a Shinigami. And for a long time, I had done my best to keep that vow that I became very keen on ignoring the content of my heart to the point that even I forgot I had feelings. The rest, you have already known."

Ichigo nodded and supplied, "You allowed Rukia's execution and even went so far as to announce that you would execute her yourself after the Sōkyoku was destroyed."

Byakuya nodded.

"Then you came and challenged every value I had been holding. For the first time in a long time, I was forced to get in touch with my own feelings, to make a choice. You showed me, through the course of your actions, that rules and orders were not always right, and you made me realize that sometimes it was alright just to follow my own heart for a change. In the end, you didn't just save Rukia from her execution, Kurosaki Ichigo. You have also saved me from myself, and for that alone, I would always be indebted to you."

Ichigo blinked for a couple of times. If anything, he never expected to hear that he had touched Byakuya's life to that extent.

"That was completely unintentional," Ichigo said. "I was just focusing on rescuing Rukia back then."

"I know."

"And if anything, we should have already been even when you and Kenpachi came by to save my ass from Yammy – or when you fought that guy Tsukishima," the Substitute Shinigami added. Then Ichigo narrowed his chocolate eyes as something suddenly dawned to him. "Talking about Tsukishima, is that why you refused to accept my gratitude and hesitated to take my gift – because you did what you did to repay me?"

Byakuya responded with a nod.

"In a way, yes, but I never intended to say anything to you about it."

"Then why did you tell me just now?"

"Honestly? I don't know," Lord Kuchiki admitted. "Perhaps it's because I never had a chance to express my gratitude properly. Anyway, I suppose a proper thank you would involve a gift, but you were right about this, I do not have any present on my person now, so that has to wait."

"Oi, that's okay, Byakuya. you don't need to give me any gift," Ichigo said quickly.

"Are you certain?" Lord Kuchiki asked. "You don't even know what kind of gift I might give you?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure about that," Ichigo replied. "Besides, rather than a gift, I'd prefer it more if you'd just call me by my name."

"And when you said your name, you meant Kurosaki or Ichigo?"

Ichigo couldn't hide his surprise when Byakuya shot him with that question, since he expected Byakuya to hesitate rather than to try to confirm whether it was the family name or the given name that Ichigo would prefer to be called.

"Ichigo would be nice. I mean, I always call you Byakuya, so it'd only be fair if you were to-" Ichigo trailed off just before he could finish his own thought. He then gave Byakuya an unsure expression before he bit his lower lip and quickly added, "But Kurosaki is good, too, if you find referring to me by my given name too distasteful, that is."

Byakuya quirked an eyebrow.

"I think it should have already been clear to you by now that I no longer hold you in any contempt."

"It's hard to believe so when you keep referring to me by my full name," Ichigo retorted, hoping that it wouldn't come out like he was complaining.

"It is merely a force of habits," the nobleman claimed, "but if it would make you feel a little better, it's also because I find your name rather fitting to your image – a protector in a black cape."

The Substitute Shinigami blinked as he didn't anticipate hearing that kind of reply. To his credit, Ichigo was quick to collect himself. He even tilted his head and gave Byakuya a smug look.

"Oh? So you want me to believe that you keep calling me by my full name because you like its meaning?"

A hint of a smile flashed behind Byakuya's eyes.

"You can think of it in whichever way you prefer."

There was something about the slight shift in Byakuya's expression and the tone of voice that the nobleman used that made some heat rise up Ichigo's cheeks; however Ichigo disregarded it and narrowed his eyes at his companion.

"You enjoy messing with my head, that's what I think," he pointed.

Byakuya didn't honor that statement with any response. Instead he finished the tea in his cup and turned to his side to set the empty cup onto the table next to the teapot and the kettle.

"Putting that aside, you still haven't told me why you're up here on the roof, Byakuya," Ichigo said, reminding Byakuya of the first question he asked since he arrived to the top of the Kuchiki Mansion.

Since he didn't feel like explaining to Ichigo that he couldn't sleep because he was still haunted by the memories of all horrid images that appeared in his mind after the Quincy's arrow induced irrational fear into his system during their battle, Byakuya decided to give Ichigo a half truth.

"I'm merely having tea while admiring the moon," Byakuya supplied.

The answer made Ichigo tear his eyes from Byakuya and turn his gaze up to the sky before he took a look at the pale crescent moon for the first time in that night. Upon seeing the moon, Ichigo furrowed his brows slightly.

"I thought people only enjoy watching the moon when it's full."

"I don't see why I should limit myself to only watch full moon when each phrase of the moon has a different appeal to it," Byakuya remarked before he, too, turned his eyes to the sky. "Besides, tonight I can also see some fireworks people randomly lit up during the feast."

As if to support Byakuya's point, another firework exploded in the sky from afar.

"Even so, don't you think it's a little lonely to be sitting here watching the moon and those fireworks by yourself when everybody is out there, celebrating the victory together?"

"I'm not exactly by myself now, am I?"

Ichigo chuckled softly. In any other time, Ichigo might have more trouble trying to decipher whether Byakuya said so in order to imply that he wished to be left by himself. However, that night, he had a feeling that Byakuya didn't really mind his company. If anything, the nobleman might have found some comfort in it.

Still, Ichigo knew better than to get ahead of himself and decided to his gaze back to Byakuya and commented softly just to make sure:

"I guess now the question is whether you want to be left alone."

Sensing Ichigo's eyes on him, Byakuya turned to meet the teen's chocolate eyes before he lifted an eyebrow and questioned lightly, "What do you think?"

The corners of Ichigo's lips curved up into a gentle smile before he replied, "I think you could use a company."

"Then stay awhile, Ichigo."

Ichigo's heart skipped a beat. Not only because Byakuya had actually returned his smile and asked him to stay, but also because of the way the nobleman addressed him. He shouldn't have reacted that strongly, since most of his friends called him Ichigo anyway, and Ichigo had more or less requested Byakuya to call him Ichigo himself. However, he still had that strange feeling regardless, since Byakuya had never given him any promise that he would change how he referred to Ichigo before their conversation was led away from the subject, which made Ichigo assume that Byakuya would not change the way he addressed him. He couldn't have expected to hear his name rolled out of the nobleman's lips then, and it caught him off guard.

Perhaps, he was not completely wrong to think that Byakuya enjoyed messing with his head, and perhaps he was not all too displeased by that thought.

"Sure, Byakuya," Ichigo finally replied after a long pause. "It's not like I have anywhere else I want to be right now."


	8. Shooting Star, Impulse and Reservation

A/N: I was listening to Will Young's "Leave Right Now" during the time I wrote this vignette, which might explain the feel of this installment somewhat. This one is actually a follow up to the previous chapter because I'm sure some of you guys might think it ended a little too abruptly (or at least I think so anyway). It can still be read as a standalone, however. Please enjoy and as always, feedback is loved.

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><p><em>8: Shooting Star, Impulse and Reservation<em>

Despite the victory in the war against the Quincy, Soul Society was still left in disarray, as its capital was used as the battleground. The Gotei 13 had lost thousands of members in the war and a few thousands more were discharged because of either physical disability or other mental issues while there were only a couple of hundreds of Shinō Academy's graduates to refill those positions.

It was a very difficult time for all Shinigami. And while he thought he knew how to handle any situations, Captain Kuchiki was almost at his wit's end as to how to keep the morale in his division up when everyone was having a hard time dealing with postwar depressions.

Byakuya didn't want to admit that he was weary, but the truth remained that he was. Because of all empty positions in his division, every member of the division needed to work overtime to cover for the lack of manpower and as a captain, he needed to work even harder than his subordinates to keep the division operating smoothly. The last time he had a time off to relax was actually a couple of months ago, in that one warm night right after the Quincy was defeated, which he spent drinking tea while admiring the moon, the stars and the fireworks, in an unusually quiet company of one Kurosaki Ichigo.

Thinking about that night with Ichigo, Captain Kuchiki took a deep breath and closed his slate eyes.

Up until that moment, Byakuya still couldn't quite tell what had compelled him into asking Ichigo to stay just as much as he couldn't begin to fathom why Ichigo had agreed to do so. It simply happened, and it felt natural, like everything else than had been going on in their relationship so far; so perhaps there was no reason to question it.

What was really important was that Ichigo had stayed more than just a little while that night...

_After the Substitute Shinigami had decided to stay, he slid his backside down the roof just enough for him to be able to lay his back against the cold tiles. Then he folded his hands together behind his head to give it some support. He looked so relaxed as if the roof he was lying against wasn't Byakuya's but his very own home._

_They let silence fell between them for yet another moment before Ichigo turned his curious eyes to Byakuya and asked, 'Hey, Byakuya, are you seriously just gonna sit there like that?'_

_Byakuya tilted his head to his left side and looked back at Ichigo._

'_Like what?'_

'_You know, all stiff and formal,' the Substitute Shinigami supplied. 'I mean, won't you get some kind of crick in your neck or back from sitting with your back that straight the entire time?'_

'_I do not see anything wrong with the way I am sitting, and no, I do not have any kind of crick in my neck or back.'_

_Ichigo rolled his eyes and sighed._

'_Even so, I'm still telling you it'd be much more relaxing to lie down when you try to watch the sky. At least that way you won't have to crane your neck to see some stars.'_

_Byakuya eyed Ichigo for a moment before he replied:_

'_You spoke as if it would be that much more comfortable to be leaning against the roof's tiles.'_

_Ichigo shrugged._

'_Whatever, Byakuya. I'm just saying this because I think you need to relax a little,' Ichigo said before he wrinkled his nose slightly. 'Okay, scratch that. Make it a lot instead. We're talking about you, after all.'_

_Strangely enough, Byakuya understood what Ichigo was trying to say. However, with decades of strict upbringing, those postures Ichigo called stiff and formal came naturally for Byakuya that he saw no other way to position himself, and not to mention, he wouldn't be able to assume other posture when he still had thick bandages wrapped tightly around his torso anyway._

'_In case you cannot tell, this is me being relaxed,' he claimed. 'Besides, even if I wished to appear more "relaxed", I still would not be able to move much with all the bandages.'_

_Ichigo kept his eyes on Byakuya for another moment before he decided that Byakuya wasn't lying._

'_Are you sure you're really okay, Byakuya?' Ichigo asked softly. Concern was evident in his voice. 'I mean, the last time you were this injured, you spent like a week at the Fourth Division, but this time you were discharged really early.'_

_Byakuya nodded in affirmation._

'_I am fine. Back then, they kept me in the Fourth Division for that long because I was stabbed through and through in the area very near to my heart, so they wanted to keep me there to make sure there would not be any complications. This time, however, none of my injuries were as deep, so it is somewhat easier to recover once all the wounds were closed.'_

_Ichigo furrowed his brows slightly._

'_I highly doubt they would have discharged you this soon if there were more beds available in the Fourth Division.'_

_Captain Kuchiki had to agree that the Substitute Shinigami had his point. After all, many patients were released from the Fourth Division earlier than they would be in a normal circumstance, since the facility was not big enough to house all patients. Therefore, all patients whose conditions were stable enough would be discharged from the Fourth Division to recover elsewhere._

'_Perhaps not,' Byakuya stated, 'but I would have asked to be released anyway. After all, things are bound to be hectic in the Gotei 13 now that our workforce was down by at least one third, and we would need as much manpower as possible to run all divisions.'_

_Hearing Byakuya's answer, Ichigo sat up straight before he turned to face the nobleman with a full-on glare._

'_You're saying you're going right back to work after this?'_

'_What choice do I have?'_

_Although Ichigo could understand Byakuya's point, he still couldn't help sighing at the retort._

'_I admire your sense of responsibility, Byakuya, I really do,' the Substitute Shinigami stated softly without any trace of sarcasm, 'but you've gotta remember to take care of yourself too, you know.'_

_Lord Kuchiki could see unadorned concern behind the umber orbs that were his companion's eyes and couldn't help feeling touched by that look._

'_I know, Ichigo, but I will be fine,' Byakuya assured. 'We are only talking about paperwork and other mundane tasks here. It's not as if I'm planning to throw myself right into another battle.'_

_Ichigo narrowed his eyes as if he wasn't satisfied by the reply he received._

'_No, you're not, but you would if you had to,' he accused. 'I know how you function, Byakuya, and seriously, I think you owe yourself a little break.'_

'_And I will take one after everything has returned to normal in Soul Society,' Byakuya promised. 'However, as of this moment, I cannot afford to take a break, not when my division needs me most, and the Gotei 13 could use all the help it could get.'_

_Ichigo sighed in resignation, knowing that there was nothing he could say to convince Byakuya to take a leave from his division if only for a couple of days._

'_I guess I really can't tell you what to do, huh?'_

'_No, you can't,' Byakuya confirmed, 'but I appreciate the gesture.'_

_Ichigo nodded before he propped his arm behind his back and leaned back slightly although that time he didn't bother to lay his back against the roof's tiles. He watched as another firework exploded in the sky and waited until the light faded away before he said his next line._

'_So it's gonna be very busy in Seireitei from now on, eh?'_

'_I'm afraid so.'_

_Ichigo acknowledged the reply with a nod._

'_Is there anything I can do to help?'_

'_There is nothing you could do here that you have not already done,' Byakuya stated. 'The only thing you can do now is to return to your hometown and watch over it like you always have.'_

'_I guess I'll do just that, then,' Ichigo said, yet he gave out no sign that he would move away from that roof anytime soon. If anything, he even threw his head back a little in a more relaxed posture and then looked up to the sky._

_Although Byakuya often found it awkward to spend time with anyone in a complete silence, the air around them felt nothing but peaceful and comfortable. Therefore, he decided to close his eyes and allowed his shoulders to relax slightly, taking in the serenity that his silence company had offered._

_He couldn't really tell how long he had been closing his eyes, and perhaps he was close to drifting off into a much needed slumber as well, when Ichigo's voice drew him out of that stage._

'_Hey look, Byakuya, a shooting star!'_

_Byakuya slowly opened his eyes, and the first thing he noticed was not the bright white light that was shooting across the sky but the way that Ichigo was leaning close to him that their shoulders almost touched while he pointed his left hand up to the sky where the shooting star was supposed to be._

'_Beautiful, isn't it?' Ichigo asked._

_Byakuya then blinked the thought away and followed Ichigo's finger with his eyes, and caught a glimpse of white light just before it fell completely off the sky._

'_It is,' Byakuya agreed._

_Byakuya felt, rather than actually saw, Ichigo turn his gaze toward him and keep his eyes on the side of his face before the teen inquired, 'Did you make a wish?'_

'_No. I never believe in wishing upon a shooting star,' Byakuya commented. 'Did you – make a wish, I mean?'_

_Then he turned to face Ichigo only to realize how close Ichigo actually was to him when they sat there in that position. There was certain softness in the teen's eyes when he was gazing at him. Byakuya couldn't quite explain the look, but it was as if there was some kind of pull to Ichigo's eyes that kept him from breaking the gaze once their eyes locked._

_It was as though there was some kind of spell that held them there, speechless. Then Byakuya sensed, rather than saw, Ichigo's brown eyes drop to his lips before the boy inched slightly closer. He wasn't sure if he should blame it on the shooting star or claim that it was a moment of madness, but there was one thing that was certain to him at that moment, and it was that if Ichigo were to lean forward and kiss him then, Byakuya would have gladly let him._

_But he didn't._

_Another firework exploded brightly and loudly into the sky, shaking them both out of their daze. Whatever kind of magic that put them in that position in the first place was gone. Ichigo jerked and quickly looked away from Byakuya but not before Byakuya caught a glimpse of panic in his brown eyes._

'_I... um... didn't make any wish either,' Ichigo said, looking anywhere but Byakuya's face._

_Byakuya sighed softly._

'_Too bad,' he said, 'but perhaps you would be able to do it next time.'_

_At that point, Byakuya wasn't quite sure if he was talking about making a wish or about the kiss that had not happened._

'_Yeah, well, maybe,' Ichigo said, rubbing the back of his neck in a nervous gesture. 'Anyway, I think I'd better leave now. I mean, it's getting late and you need to rest so that you can recover.'_

_Byakuya nodded, knowing that it would be best for him to act as though he didn't notice what could have transpired between them had the firework not exploded right at that moment._

'_Yes, perhaps that would be for the best.'_

_Ichigo looked slightly relieved after he carefully gauged Byakuya's reaction and realized that the nobleman did not act any different from normal._

'_Um... well, then, good night, Byakuya.'_

_Byakuya nodded once again before he replied with a polite, 'Good night, Ichigo.'_

_Upon hearing Byakuya's reply, Ichigo gave him a quick wave of goodbye before he disappeared into the night, more flustered than Byakuya had ever witnessed the boy be._..

* * *

><p>Byakuya sighed once again before he opened his eyes.<p>

Ichigo had not paid another visit to Seireitei since that night, or perhaps he had, but Byakuya had been too busy at his division to have taken notice. After all, most of the times they met were when Ichigo was at the Kuchiki Manor, waiting to see Rukia. In any case, it had been months since then, and sometimes Byakuya wondered if everything that happened or did not happen that night was merely his own imagination.

He shook the thought out of his head as he decided that there was no use to dwell on it when he had no intention to pursue that subject to begin with.

In the past few months, Ichigo had become a good friend; someone he had trusted with many secrets and burdens he never thought he would ever share with anyone; someone who could actually appreciate him for who he truly was, not just the facade he had created for a show; someone who actually cared. He was not going to risk all of that just because of a random impulse – especially when Ichigo himself seemed to be freaked out by that incident.

Byakuya rubbed the bridge of his nose and brought his focus back to the work in front of him. He still had a lot of work left to finish, and thinking of Ichigo then was certainly not helping.

Captain Kuchiki went back to reading the reports on recruitment progress, and just when he was picking up his ink brush to sign his approval, there was a knock on his office door.

"Come in," he said without bothering to ask who it was.

Byakuya signed the document before he lifted his gaze up from the paper to whoever was at the door, and he was certain that his expression would betray his surprise when he saw a certain orange-haired Substitute Shinigami carrying a large pile of documents in his arms while using his foot to nudge the door close behind him. It made Byakuya wonder slightly just how the boy managed to open the door to begin with.

"Hi, Byakuya. Rukia asked me to bring all these files to your office," Ichigo explained. "Where can I put them?"

Once he finished his question, Ichigo started to scan Byakuya's office for some free space that he could put those documents down and Byakuya didn't blame him for doing so, as they appeared to be very heavy.

Byakuya rose to his feet before he tried to figure out how he could free up some space for the new document, then he decided against it and simply walked around his table to pull out a chair and made a gesture to it.

"Just put them here. I'll rearrange them later. Thank you."

Ichigo nodded and put the whole pile of documents on the chair.

"I see things are still pretty busy in the Gotei 13," Ichigo commented, gesturing to all huge pile of paper on Byakuya's desk.

"Apparently," Byakuya said. "How are things on your side?"

"Well, just some Hollows popping up here and there, you know, the usual," Ichigo replied. "I would have dropped by to Soul Society to see how you guys were doing, but I got caught up in all school's assignments and all make-up classes, so I didn't have a chance to come here until today."

"And the first thing you do when you are here is to run an errand for my sister," Byakuya commented before he stepped back so that he could sit behind his desk once again.

Ichigo shrugged.

"Well, what can I say? I need a little excuse to come over to your office to say hello to you and see how you've been doing. I mean, it's really busy in your office, and you wouldn't be too pleased if I suddenly dropped by to disturb you without any real business."

Byakuya tilted his head and looked at Ichigo with a perplexed look. It was probably the first time Ichigo had ever said that he wanted to see him without having any other real purposes but to see him.

"I can't say that you would be wrong," Byakuya remarked, "although I must admit it is nice to know that you want to see me."

Ichigo's lips curved up into a small smile.

"Well, I'm glad you think so," he said, "or otherwise it'd be kinda awkward."

Byakuya nodded in agreement but made no other attempt at a conversation.

Ichigo then began to take notice of how Byakuya had assumed his seat behind the desk and how there was no available seat for him to sit in. Upon noticing that, he gave Byakuya a sheepish look before he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Anyway, since you are busy and all, I'll just hit the road and leave you to your work," he said and then turned to leave. However, before he opened the door and left, Ichigo turned back to remark, "oh, and I'm glad to see that you've fully recovered, by the way."

Byakuya acknowledged Ichigo's words with a nod.

"And I'm glad you decided to drop by, Ichigo."

Ichigo smiled at Byakuya's words.

"Have a good day, Byakuya. I hope the next time we meet, things won't be this hectic."

Byakuya found himself responding in kind.

"Have a good day."

Ichigo nodded once before he finally took his leave.

Byakuya stared at the closed door for a long moment after the Substitute Shinigami had left before he sighed and turned his attention back to his work. He might not know exactly what game Ichigo was playing at that moment – if he was playing one at all – or what the boy's next move would be, but he decided there would still be more than enough time for him to figure it out.


	9. Snow, Smile and Recognition

A/N: If you are still reading this story until now, thank you for your support. It seems to be a long time since I last updated, so I apologize for that. The thing is while I know what I want to write, I can't write it out in the way that I want it to be; so most of the time was spent rewriting the chapter. It's still not how I want it to be, but I have to post it anyway or I'm gonna rage quit this whole series. I hope you'd still enjoy reading, though. As always comments and criticisms are welcome.

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><p><em>9: Snow, Smile and Recognition<em>

"Come on, Ichigo. At least tell us what type of girl you like."

Ichigo sighed softly as he knew there was no way he could avoid the subject when all of his friends' eyes were on him.

Up until a week ago, no one was interested in the subject of Ichigo's love life, as it was very clear to them that he didn't have nor did he plan to start one. Ichigo had always been too caught up with other things in his life that he did not have the time to be crazy about girls like most boys of his age were. However, things became different when one day Ichigo received a letter, requesting him to meet the sender at the back of the school after class. Since he never thought the letter would be from a love sick girl who wanted to confess the crush she supposedly had on him, Ichigo was convinced that the letter was a challenge to a fight. Therefore, he had to be surprised when he got to the place and found a pretty girl from a freshman year there instead of some ugly ruffians.

Ichigo wasn't sure if he had done a good thing or a bad thing by flatly turning her down, since after that incident, his friend, namely Asano Keigo, never ceased to bug him for his reasons to reject the girl when she was cute and quite popular and Ichigo himself was not in a relationship with anyone. Because Keigo kept asking Ichigo about it every time they met, the rest of his friends became aware of the subject and got more or less interested in it as well, so in the end they decided to question him when they all had lunch together in an abnormally large group that consisted of Asano Keigo, Kojima Mizuiro, Sado "Chad" Yasutora, Ishida Uryū, Arisawa Tatsuki, Honshō Chizuru and Inoue Orihime. In order to make them drop the subject, Ichigo decided to tell his friends that the girl was not his type, which led to the question that Keigo had asked him earlier.

"My type?" Ichigo repeated. "Why do you even want to know that?"

"Well, you told us you rejected Akira-chan because she wasn't your type, so I wonder what type of girls you actually like," Keigo replied. "I mean, you never showed any interest in any girls before, so I'm curious."

Ichigo rolled his eyes upward as he tried to find an answer that would satisfy all of his friends. After all, he never thought about which type of girl he would be attracted to, and so far all the girls who had entered his life had remained strictly as his friends.

"Someone like my mom, I guess," Ichigo finally replied.

"Ah, so you like older woman?" The question came from Chizuru even though she claimed she had no interest in Ichigo's love life just as long as Ichigo did not have the same target as she did. "No wonder you rejected Akira-chan when she's such a hottie."

"You think every woman with huge boobs is hot," Ichigo retorted, rolling his eyes. "And no, I didn't mean that the person had to be older - though I guess I wouldn't mind dating an older person either."

"So what are you talking about then, Ichigo? Is it about appearance?" It was Tatsuki's turn to ask. She took a moment to recall what Ichigo's mother looked like. "Are you saying that you'd be attracted to a woman who has long wavy brown hair, kind eyes and a radiant smile?"

Ichigo narrowed his eyes slightly as he didn't expect that Tatsuki, of all people, would join that conversation. After all, she wasn't a type that liked to gossip, so he had thought that she would act like she couldn't care less about it, like Ishida and Chad apparently did; however, it seemed he was wrong.

"I'm not that particular," Ichigo said. The truth was he didn't even know if he really had a type. He simply said so just so Keigo would drop the subject. "I'm just thinking that it would be nice to date someone who is kind but still strong enough to protect herself like my mom was."

Ichigo face fell slightly after he finished his line, as it brought back the memory of how his mother had died in order to protect him from the Grand Fisher, and Ichigo had failed to avenge her. However, his expression returned to normal a second afterward.

"Eh? Does that mean you actually like Kuchiki-san, Kurosaki-kun?" That time it was Inoue Orihime who cut in.

Ichigo furrowed his eyebrows and almost asked Inoue how the girl could come up with the idea when Byakuya was a man, and while that man was older and was strong enough to take care of himself and protect just about anyone he wished to, he definitely didn't have long wavy brown hair, kind eyes or radiant smiles - though Ichigo wasn't sure about the latter, since Byakuya rarely if ever smiled.

However, Ichigo caught himself before he actually allowed those words to come out of his mouth, and he was glad he did, because he just recalled that the "Kuchiki-san" Inoue was referring to was supposed to be Rukia, not Byakuya. Therefore, if he brought Byakuya's name up, it would raise yet another question why he believed Inoue was referring to that man when they were supposed to be talking about his love life, and Ichigo wouldn't be able to get himself out of that one.

"Aww, man, I should have known! You've really got a thing for Kuchiki-san," Keigo yelled victoriously. "Anyway, you could've just told me that so I wouldn't have to bug you why you didn't agree to go out with Akira-chan."

All of his friends nodded their heads in agreement, and Ichigo didn't feel like mentioning that he was thinking about a different Kuchiki entirely.

Ichigo wasn't sure if he should count himself lucky that everyone just assumed that his late response was because he couldn't deny having a feeling for Rukia when in fact, the reason he didn't deny right away was because he was busy wondering why Byakuya's name popped up in his head in the first place.

"I don't really think of Rukia in that way," he eventually objected.

"You don't need to deny it, Kurosaki," Ishida said between his bite. "Everyone here knows that you and Kuchiki-san share a strong bond and that it was because of her that you became a Substitute Shinigami in the first place."

Ichigo groaned, but he decided it would be best not to try to correct his friends. After all, they would only try to squeeze more information about his love life out of him even though he didn't really have anything to share in that regard.

"Yeah, right, whatever," Ichigo said, resigned. He briefly wondered if that was how Rukia felt when everyone in Soul Society simply assumed she was in a relationship with him or at least that he went over to Seireitei to woo her.

"In this case, I guess I can cancel the plan to invite you to an onsen trip with me, my girlfriend and her friends this coming winter break," Mizuiro, who had been listening to the conversation quietly from the start, decided it was a good time to join in.

Ichigo nodded in affirmation. "Yeah, I think I'd rather head to Soul Society."

"See? And you tried to deny that you don't have special feelings for Kuchiki-san," Keigo said teasingly. Then he frowned and turned to look at Mizuiro. "Wait a minute! How come you thought about inviting Ichigo but said nothing to me about that trip? You're so cruel to me, Mizuiro!"

Mizuiro feigned an innocent look before he remarked, "Oh? But I didn't know you like older women, Asano-san."

Keigo continued to whine about the way Mizuiro called him, and the group laughed in earnest. Meanwhile, Ichigo sighed softly as all attentions had finally been shifted away from him. He then began to have his meal quietly while his friends went on to discuss other random subjects during their lunch time.

* * *

><p>As it turned out, Ichigo actually headed to Seireitei when the short winter break arrived. It was the first winter he had to go through as a Substitute Shinigami, since the previous time he lost his power before winter began; and Ichigo learned the hard way that he was still affected by the cold even though he was in his spirit form.<p>

He shivered slightly when he got past the Senkaimon and saw how Soul Society's ground was paved with thick snow. Since it wouldn't do him any good to stay out there in the cold, Ichigo quickly scanned Seireitei for known spiritual presences and then headed straight to the location of the Kuchiki Manor.

Just like every other time he visited the place, he was soon greeted by the old butler who always popped out of nowhere to welcome him right after Ichigo went to the Kuchiki Manor through the front gate.

"Greetings, Kurosaki-dono," said the butler. "I'm afraid Rukia-sama is on a ski trip with other lieutenants and will not return home for a couple of days."

Ichigo nodded as he had already known that Rukia was away from Seireitei when he scanned the place for all known presences earlier.

"Actually, I'm here to see Byakuya," Ichigo said. "I don't have any appointment with him, though, so can you go and ask him whether he's free to see me?"

"Oh, in that case, I must apologize for jumping into the wrong conclusion," the butler said as he bowed at Ichigo to express his apology. He then made a gesture to invite Ichigo in. "Please come in, Kurosaki-dono. I shall inform Byakuya-sama of your visit."

Although Ichigo had already known the path to the living room by heart from the number of times he had visited the place, the butler still found it necessary to show Ichigo to the room before he went off to wherever Byakuya was.

If there was anything Ichigo liked about that living room, it was that the room was always warm despite the fact that it was big and had no other pieces of furniture aside from that one zabuton cushion that the butler had laid out for him. Ichigo had yet to sit down long enough to warm his seat when the butler returned to the room.

"Byakuya-sama is at the back garden and will receive you there," the butler stated. "Please follow me, Kurosaki-dono."

If it wasn't for the fact that Byakuya couldn't have known that Ichigo didn't exactly have a winter wear in his Substitute Shinigami form, Ichigo would have thought Byakuya was trying to torture him by saying that he would see him at the backyard, where it would definitely be cold, instead of coming in to greet him in the warmth of the living room. However, if he were to look at it on a bright side, he was glad that Byakuya had dropped all formalities and decided to let Ichigo to other part of his house aside from the living room where every guest was received.

The butler led Ichigo through the maze that was the Kuchiki Family compound until they reached to the said back garden, where the ground was covered in snow. Byakuya could be seen at the corner of the garden, rolling a large snowball with his gloved hands. Even from the distance, Ichigo could tell that the noble wasn't wearing his Shinigami uniform. Instead, Byakuya was clad in a dark blue kimono with black obi and gray hakama pants. Although his haori was still white, it was not exactly the captain haori that Ichigo was used to seeing the man in. However, what caught Ichigo's eyes the most was the reappearance of the silver-white windflower silk scarf. He didn't know he actually missed said scarf until he saw it being wrapped around Byakuya's neck once again.

Catching himself staring, Ichigo blinked and looked to his side to see if the butler would announce his presence to Byakuya only to realize that the butler was nowhere to be seen. Therefore, Ichigo rubbed his hands together and then folded his arms around his chest to keep himself warm before he walked across the snow-covered garden to where Byakuya was.

"Hey, Byakuya," he greeted once he was within Byakuya's hearing range. "You're building a snowman?"

Byakuya nodded as a reply before he lifted his eyes from the snowball to look at his guest.

"Yes," he replied. A look of concern flashed behind his gray eyes as Byakuya got a good look at Ichigo and his attires. "However, it is almost done now, so you can wait inside the house if you feel cold."

Ichigo gave Byakuya a shrug.

"Nah, I'll stay here with you. I mean, it's not every day that anyone can get to see the great Kuchiki Byakuya playing with snow," Ichigo commented in good humor.

Byakuya stopped rolling the snowball once he got it right beside the larger snowball that was placed in the middle of the garden. He then bent down to gather more snow from the ground and put it on top of the larger snowball in order to make more solid base to stack up the smaller one.

"If by playing with snow you include making a snow angel, then you would not be completely incorrect," Byakuya said, deadpan.

The mental image made Ichigo laugh in earnest, since the activities seemed far less fit to Byakuya's image than building a snowman. He didn't think he had laughed that hard in ages, and he didn't even think Byakuya was trying to make a joke.

"That's good because if I caught you on the ground making a snow angel, I'd probably laugh myself to death," Ichigo said between his laughter. It took him a moment to regain enough composure to ask, "Do you need help lifting up that thing?"

The question earned a raised eyebrow from Byakuya, and the look made Ichigo realize that he was supposed to feel very cold at that moment so that he shouldn't have offered to help.

"I'd rather not see you get frostbite."

Ichigo gave Byakuya a small smile.

"Your concern already warms me up enough," he said, but before Byakuya could look too deep into the meaning of that line, Ichigo added, "Besides I'd only be touching that snowball for a few seconds."

Byakuya narrowed his eyes as if he was trying to weigh all options, but then he nodded at Ichigo.

"If you say so, then I suppose you could help."

Once again, Ichigo rubbed his hands together then headed toward the snow to help Byakuya lift it up and then stack it on the base snowball. After they were done stacking up the snowball, Ichigo let out an audible sigh.

"Wow! I forgot how heavy a snowball can be," Ichigo said before he rubbed his hands against the fabric of his hakama to make sure his hands were all dry before he rubbed them together to get some more heat.

Byakuya tilted his head up slightly to look at Ichigo while his hands were still packing more snow between the two snowballs to make sure that they would stick together nicely.

"I'm surprised," he pointed. "I thought you would enjoy building snowmen or have snowball fights."

"Snowball fights, yes. Snowman, not really. You see, my dad has this tendency to go over the top with just about everything he does, so he often wanted to make a crazy huge snowman and give it some embarrassing decorations, so my sisters and I usually ignored him and had snowball fights instead."

"I see," Byakuya said before he decided that he already packed enough snow to the snowman and went on to rub some snow off the snowman to shape it into a more desired figure.

"Anyway, what's your story, Byakuya?"

"Does there need to be one?" Lord Kuchiki wondered. "Can I not enjoy the activity without having any reasons behind it?"

Ichigo gave Byakuya a sheepish smile. "Of course, you can. I just thought it doesn't exactly fit your image, that's all."

Since Byakuya didn't bother to tell Ichigo why he enjoyed making a snowman and simply walked across the garden to pick up some twigs from the ground to decorate the snowman, Ichigo decided to drop the subject and walked around to find some other things that could be used as a snowman's decoration.

"I used to build a large snowman with my father when he had enough free time from his Division in winter," Byakuya said after he broke the twig into short sticks and used them to make eyebrows, a nose and a mouth for the snowman. Before Byakuya needed to search for something to use as the snowman's eyes, Ichigo offered him the pebbles he had found, so Byakuya placed one of them on the snowman before he took half a step back and looked at the snowman.

"Are you not gonna put another eye on that thing?" Ichigo asked as he watched Byakuya eyeing at the snowman with a pleased look on his face.

"There were times when I left it with just one eye and promised that I would give it another eye after my wish was answered," Byakuya stated.

Ichigo chuckled softly.

"Wouldn't it be easier just to buy a daruma doll and make a wish on it? I mean, it's true we call a snowman 'yukidaruma' but I don't think a snowman is intended to be used as a wish doll like the daruma doll. I mean, the whole thing might melt before your wish can be answered."

"I know," Byakuya replied, "but it's nice to have people wonder why my snowman only has one eye sometimes."

However, instead of leaving the snowman with only one eye like he said he sometimes would, Byakuya stepped back toward the snowman and placed another pebble down to complete the look.

"There. It's done now," the nobleman announced, proudly.

Byakuya stepped back once again to admire his very own handiwork. A soft smile formed on his face as he looked at the thing, then Byakuya turned toward Ichigo and shared that smile with him also. While it was merely a small smile, its genuineness gladdened Ichigo's heart to the point that not only did the Substitute Shinigami feel like smiling in response, he also felt a strong urge to pull the nobleman close and kiss him.

The thought stunned Ichigo for a moment, as it was not the first time he felt that kind of urge. And since it was not the first time, he could no longer ignore it or pretend that nothing was going on.

He had tried not to look too closely into his feelings at that first time he wished to kiss Byakuya and simply convinced himself it was something that just happened due to a weird alignment of the cosmos and the effect of a shooting star they spotted that night. It had taken him a while, but he managed to pretend that he never felt like kissing Byakuya, since nothing actually happened and he was quite certain that the Shinigami didn't notice that he had wanted to kiss him back then.

However, since it was the second time he had that kind of feeling, he had to look at it more carefully - because it meant the feeling didn't just occur because of some weird accident. After all, there had to be a perfectly rational explanation as to why he would want to kiss a man, especially when that man could easily butcher him for doing so.

It didn't take too long for Ichigo to come to the conclusion that he liked Byakuya. That by itself was not a new fact, since he had to at least like that man or Ichigo wouldn't have bothered to spend so much time with him. However, Ichigo only came to recognize it just then that perhaps the feeling that he had developed for Byakuya hadn't been as platonic as it was supposed to be, and that recognition sent a strange chill down Ichigo's spine.

"This is bad."

Ichigo didn't know he had voiced his thought aloud until Byakuya turned toward him and asked, "You think my snowman doesn't look good."

Ichigo shook his head. There was nothing wrong with the way the snowman looked. However, Ichigo couldn't honestly say the same about himself just then.

"No," Ichigo replied, "but I think I'm not feeling too well, right now."

Byakuya furrowed his brows slightly. A look of concerned flashed behind his slate eyes as he took a better look at Ichigo and saw that the Substitute Shinigami truly didn't look well.

"I really shouldn't have asked you to come out here or let you help with the snowman, after all," said the nobleman. "Anyway, let's get inside the house. I will ask someone to fix you something hot."

As Ichigo was still astounded by the recognition, he didn't move an inch even after Byakuya said that they should get inside. His lack of movement probably worried Byakuya, since the nobleman removed a glove from his right hand before he reached out and touched Ichigo's forehead with the back of his hand as if checking Ichigo's temperature was the most natural response.

The unexpected contact made Ichigo jump in surprise, so Byakuya quickly withdrew his hand lest he offended the Substitute Shinigami in any way.

"My apology," said the nobleman.

"That's okay," Ichigo replied, feeling blood rushing to his face because of a mere contact. Byakuya was close - way too close for Ichigo's heart to take, especially right after he just realized his feeling for Byakuya might have gone beyond a boundary of friendship. "I was just a little surprised."

"Anyhow, let's get inside, Ichigo. It'll be much warmer," Byakuya said once again before he made a gesture with his hand for Ichigo to walk beside him.

Ichigo shook his head. "Actually, I think I should just head back home."

Byakuya raised an eyebrow.

"But you have just arrived," Byakuya commented.

"Yeah, but judging from the way I feel now, I don't think it'd be good to stay."

Although Ichigo wasn't talking about the cold but instead he was referring to the messed up state of his mind, he was sure Byakuya would take it that he was talking about the cold.

"At least stay and have some hot chocolate to warm yourself up before you leave," the nobleman suggested. "If you go out while you're still this pale, I doubt you would make it back to your house."

Despite his wish to flee from the place and never came back until he had everything sorted out, Ichigo still knew that he couldn't say no to the offer.

"Okay, I'll do just that. Thanks."

Byakuya accepted Ichigo's word with a nod before he led the boy straight back to one room in the mansion that wasn't exactly the living room, but Ichigo wouldn't complain since it was warm enough. After that, Byakuya disappeared for a short moment, presumably to order the hot chocolate to be made for Ichigo.

All small talks that they had after Byakuya returned to join Ichigo in the room and one of the servants came to serve a large cup of chocolate to Ichigo and a cup of tea to Byakuya didn't exactly register to Ichigo's head as his mind was more concerned about the matter of the feeling he had and how he should deal with it. And Byakuya seemed to notice that Ichigo's mind was not in their conversation as well, but he probably dismissed it for Ichigo feeling sick from the cold.

Soon, Ichigo finally finished the chocolate, and while he felt warmer in his stomach, he still felt rather cold in his heart because the more he thought about it, the less he knew how he should react.

"I think I should really get going," Ichigo remarked after he placed the cup down.

With that, Ichigo rose from his seat, so Byakuya copied his action.

"I'll see you back to the Senkaimon," Byakuya offered in a tone that said he wouldn't take no for an answer.

"It's okay, Byakuya. I'll be fine. I'm not gonna break just because of this."

Somehow Ichigo wasn't sure he was just talking about the cold.

There was still a look of concerned in Byakuya's slate eyes; however, Ichigo had to have sent off some vibes that he truly didn't want the nobleman to see him to the Senkaimon because Byakuya simply nodded.

Byakuya's next action, however, sent Ichigo's heart on another roller-coaster, as the nobleman removed his own scarf from around his neck before he swiftly stepped into Ichigo's personal space and keenly wrapped the scarf around Ichigo's neck before Ichigo even had a chance to protest.

"This should keep you warm on your way home," Byakuya stated before he adjusted the position of the scarf slightly so that both ends were symmetrical. He then removed his hand from the scarf and took half a step backward. "Take care of yourself."

Ichigo absently ran his finger along the smooth fabric of the scarf.

"Thanks, Byakuya. I'll return this the next time I come to Soul Society."

Again, Byakuya nodded, so Ichigo simply sprinted off towards the Senkaimon.

While it felt light against his skin, the windflower silk scarf still kept him warm enough on the way home as Byakuya had promised although Ichigo wasn't entirely certain whether it was his neck or his heart that received more warmth from that scarf.

* * *

><p>Isshin was sitting at the living room, having his snacks, when a Senkaimon suddenly appeared right in the middle of room before his son walked out of it with a dazed and troubled look on his face.<p>

"Ah, you've come back home so soon today, Ichigo! I thought you wouldn't be back until dinner," Isshin greeted as soon as he spotted his son. "Oh, did you buy a new scarf from Seireitei? It looks kinda familiar, though."

A scowl on Ichigo's face deepened slightly as he turned to look at his dad. Isshin could clearly see that Ichigo had something in mind and was probably contemplating whether he could or should confide in his own father. For a moment there, Isshin thought his son would just keep whatever he wanted to say to himself and simply ignore him, as Ichigo was at the age which a child would prefer to confide in his friends than to ask for a parental advice. Therefore, he was surprised when Ichigo had yet to return to the privacy of his room and simply stood there by the door way.

"Can I ask you something, oyaji?" Ichigo wondered.

"Sure, Ichigo, you can ask me anything and I'll do my best to answer," Isshin replied, trying his best not to seem too eager or too happy to listen to what his eldest offspring intended to ask lest his enthusiasm made Ichigo back away.

It seemed his effort paid off, since Ichigo sighed and inquired: "You're gonna tell me if I do something that you think is stupid or is wrong, right?"

"Of course," Isshin confirmed. "That's what a good parent does, and I'm a good parent even though you don't think of me as one."

Ichigo simply rolled his eyes at the last sentence.

"So what is it, Ichigo? You haven't done anything bad, have you?" Isshin asked with a teasing tone, although there was a trace of concern in his eyes.

"I don't know, oyaji," Ichigo replied. "Would you say it's a bad thing if I told you I could be falling for a guy?"


	10. Blossom, Charm and Confession

A/N: Thank you for all of your comments and my apologies for not answering to any of them personally. Real life does get in the way of a hobby sometimes. Anyhow, this chapter is one of the shorter installments, and I can't really say how I feel about it as a whole so I'll leave it up to you all to decide what you think about it. Until next time.

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><p><em>10: Blossom, Charm and Confession<em>

Byakuya stopped by a plum tree and reached his hand up to pick the one blossom that was blooming from its branch and then carefully kept the blossom in the fold of his kimono before he walked down a stone pavement that led to the large hall where shrines to the passing members of the Kuchiki Clan were located.

Lord Kuchiki entered the hall and walked past several shrines before he stopped at a small one in the dark corner of the hall. He then blew some dusts away from the door of the shrine before he gingerly opened it to reveal a dusty photo frame which was set beside a stone plate that was engraved with a name Kuchiki Hisana.

Byakuya reached out for the picture frame and used the hem of his kimono sleeve to wipe away all the dust that was covering the frame so that he could finally see the fading photo of a woman who looked very much like a more mature and feminine version of Rukia. He then placed the photo back down and turned to search for some incense sticks, which he later lit with a small kidō fire and then place them down in an incense holder.

The day was the anniversary of Hisana's death, and just like that day fifty three years ago, it was a cold February day in which plum trees had just begun to blossom.

"Hello, Hisana. I'm sorry I haven't come to visit you at all since last year, but then again, by now you'd probably have already reincarnated in the World of the Living and found someone you could truly love and be happy with that person in the way that I couldn't make you be, or at least, I wish you had."

Byakuya then reached into the fold of his kimono and brought out the plum blossom that he had picked earlier before he placed it right down in front of his late wife's fading photo.

"But if you're still listening to me somehow, I picked you a plum blossom. It was your favorite flower, I recall," he said softly, remembering the time when they viewed those flowers together in an early spring.

"So many things have happened in these past twelve months. We entered a war with the Quincy. I almost died in that war. Rukia and Renji were also severely injured. But we won the war, thanks to Ichigo – yes, I call him by his given name now. I don't suppose I have told you that we – all captains and lieutenants, I mean – lent some of our powers to him so that he could regain his Shinigami power just last summer. Even now I still can't tell if giving him back his power is good for him, but I guess it was better than letting him be in complete despair? I don't know, Hisana. It feels like we have taken so much from that boy without giving him anything good in return."

Byakuya sighed.

"By the way, perhaps I should tell you Ichigo and I have been on very good terms since he regained his power," the noble lord continued. "To be completely honest with you, I find his company very uplifting. I feel it would be fine to simply be myself around him, and sometimes I would share some secrets with him, and he wouldn't judge me. It was just like when you were around and I would talk to you about my problems, except unlike you, he often talked back at me."

Byakuya smiled fondly at the thought.

"Anyhow, Ichigo was acting rather strange in his last visit, and he still has yet to show up again after seven weeks. Perhaps he has really fallen ill that time, or perhaps he has been busy with his life in the World of the Living. After all, he once mentioned it was his last year in school, so he would have to take a national exam in order to try to get into the university of his choice. I hope it's the latter case."

Byakuya then shook his head as though he realized he had just spoken something that should not have been said.

"However, you probably don't want to hear about him, and I don't even know why I even told you that. The bottom line is I am doing well and Rukia is also doing very well, so rest in peace and don't worry about us."

Byakuya then took half a step back from the shrine, and once again he sighed softly as he laid his eyes on the photograph of his late wife. He could tell that all the colors in that photograph had already faded and that soon the rest of the details would follow and leave the photo to be nothing more than a blank paper. The thought made Byakuya wonder if he had been holding on to her memories for too long, especially when Hisana herself had asked him to promise that after she died, he would move on and find someone who could return his love in the way that she herself never could.

"Someday I will keep that promise, Hisana," he whispered, "someday."

Although Byakuya didn't have much else to say to Hisana's portrait, he still stood there, watching the incense burn while thinking several useless thoughts.

After the incense was completely burned out, Byakuya looked at the photo for one last time before he gently close the shrine and walked out of the hall.

Since he didn't expect anyone to be there, Byakuya was more than a little surprised when he saw Ichigo sitting at the wooden porch with Zangetsu placed against one of the pole of the building right by his side. Since when had the Substitute Shinigami learned how to mask his spiritual presence?

Ichigo quickly got to his feet once he spotted Byakuya coming out of the room. It was only then that Byakuya noticed that the orange-haired teen actually wore a black wool haori over his normal shihakushō and also put on a pair of knitted gloves.

"Hi, Byakuya. It's been a while," he greeted. "Rukia said I might find you here."

Byakuya acknowledged Ichigo's word with a nod. Somehow he believed that even if Rukia didn't reveal his whereabouts to Ichigo, the teen would be able to track him by himself anyhow, so Captain Kuchiki assumed that his sister told Ichigo where to find him just so Ichigo wouldn't unwittingly barge in on him.

"How long have you been sitting out here?" he wondered.

"I don't know. Ten or fifteen minutes, maybe," Ichigo estimated. "To tell you the truth, I thought I would have to wait for much longer."

Byakuya narrowed his eyes, wondering just why Ichigo would even bother to sit there all alone in the cold just to wait for him.

"You do realize, of course, that you could have just announced your presence?"

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah, but I didn't want to interrupt you. I mean, Rukia said today was an anniversary of Hisana-san's death, so I figured it'd be better to wait out here until you to come out by yourself."

Lord Kuchiki blinked. He supposed the Substitute Shinigami could be considerate if he wished to be.

"Is there something important that you need to speak to me?" he asked. After all, why else would Ichigo bother to wait for him there when there was no way for the teen to tell how long he would spend his time in there?

"Not really," Ichigo replied, shaking his head. "I just come to return your scarf."

With that said, Ichigo handed him a small shopping bag which contained a neatly folded windflower silk scarf that Byakuya had lent to Ichigo several weeks earlier.

Byakuya took a look at the scarf before he cast his eyes to Ichigo's face.

"You know there is no need for you to wait for me here just to return it to me yourself," Byakuya commented. "You could have just left it with Rukia."

"I could have," Ichigo agreed, "but then I'll have to explain to her how I got it in my possession in the first place. Besides, if I left it with her, I wouldn't get to see you now, would I?"

Byakuya raised an eyebrow as if to challenge Ichigo's point only to realize that Ichigo had averted his eyes almost as soon as they made an eye contact, which he noted as yet another strange behavior because Ichigo rarely failed to meet anyone in the eye.

"I doubt you really miss me all that much, Ichigo," he commented impassively. "By the way, how have you been in these past weeks? You did not fall ill after you went home last time, I hope?"

Ichigo shook his head.

"No, I didn't – though I did come down with influenza after I took the national exam. My old man said it was probably because my immune system got weak due to all the stress and all the sleepless nights I'd been having. But you know me. I'm pretty much a cockroach in a human body, so I'm all better now. Thanks for asking."

"That is one strange comparison to make, but then again, I suppose you are really that difficult to kill," Byakuya commented, thinking of the number of times he knew of Ichigo cheating death. "How did the exam go, by the way?"

Ichigo sighed at that.

"I did the best I could, but the exam was tough, so I really can't tell how the result is gonna come out," the Substitute Shinigami admitted.

"I'm sure you did well," Byakuya commented and reached out to pat Ichigo's on the shoulder to offer a little bit of assurance only to sense Ichigo's muscle tensed up for a second before it became relaxed under his touch. "But if you need a little more moral support, there is a shrine just outside of Seireitei that is known for its good luck charm for study. We could get you one of that."

The Substitute declined the offer by shaking his head.

"Nah, that's okay. My old man has already bought me a charm on New Year. He said he got it from Soul Society, so it could be from the same shrine that you talked about," Ichigo said before he dug into the fold of his kimono to bring out that charm so that he could show it to Byakuya. "Here. See?"

Byakuya didn't really take the charm from Ichigo's hand, but simply glance at it for a second before he furrowed his brows.

"Yes, it is from the same shrine," Byakuya said, "but I'm rather certain that it is not a good luck charm for exam and study."

It was Ichigo's turn to furrow his brows and asked, "Huh? What are you talking about?"

That time Byakuya reached out for the charm bag and turned it over before he placed it back into Ichigo's palm in order to show the Substitute Shinigami what was written in the back of the charm bag.

"It's a charm for love and marriage."

Ichigo's chocolate eyes were widened as his expression turned mortified when he glanced down to the charm in his hand and saw the word_ en musubi_ printed on the back of the charm bag in gold letters. Once again, Ichigo had to make a mental note never to accept anything from his dad until after he checked it thoroughly regardless of his dad's forceful way of making him accept the thing.

"Seriously, that guy is becoming way too much."

Byakuya looked at Ichigo's expression before he looked back at the way Ichigo clenched his fist around the charm and then back to Ichigo's face again.

"Judging from your reaction, I assume it was not an honest mistake on your father's part."

Ichigo gave Byakuya a wry look that said the teen was about ready to just bite his own tongue and hope he would bleed to death so he wouldn't have to explain anything to Byakuya right then.

"No, it's not a mistake," the Substitute Shinigami confirmed.

"It's not?" Byakuya asked as if to prompt Ichigo to elaborate a little further into the detail.

Ichigo bit his lower lips and fidgeted slightly. He looked somewhat mortified by the thought of having to explain himself to Byakuya, yet he sighed and replied:

"I might have told my dad that I was romantically interested in someone."

Byakuya's slate eyes became slightly widened. The truth was he didn't expect that development from Ichigo at all, and he was a little lost on how he should feel about that revelation.

It wasn't as if he was actually crushed from knowing that Ichigo had a romantic interest in someone. Although he would go so far as to admit that he was rather fond of the Substitute Shinigami and that there were times when he entertained the notion of Ichigo being interested in him in a romantic sense, he never actually allowed himself to dwell on those thoughts. After all, Ichigo was a generous man whose actions were more than likely to give mixed signals to just about everybody that he had extended his kindness to.

Even so, the revelation still surprised him and left him with an unidentified feeling that took Lord Kuchiki a moment to finally be able to suppress. He then put on his trademark impassive mask before he looked at Ichigo's face once again only to see how troubled the boy actually looked, and that look only gave him one conclusion.

"I apologize if I am prying, but could it be that you have confessed to her and got rejected?"

Ichigo jumped at the question and for the first time since they discussed the subject, he actually looked up to meet Byakuya's eyes with his wide ones.

"What? No!" Ichigo quickly denied before he sighed and admitted, "Actually, I still don't know how I should deal with this feeling yet."

Again, the troubled look returned. And if there was one thing Byakuya knew for certain about that whole episode, it was that he hated to see that expression on Ichigo's face.

"You could start by telling that person how you feel and then proceed from there," Byakuya advised.

"Trust me, Byakuya, I would do that if I believed even for a second that there was a chance that my feeling would be reciprocated," Ichigo mumbled, once again, looking away from the nobleman, "but from the way things are, I don't need to confess to know that I'd be rejected."

"You can never know for certain until you do," Byakuya pointed, "unless of course, that person is already involved with someone else."

Ichigo shook his head.

"No, not really," Ichigo replied. His chocolate eyes then moved toward the closed door of the hall for a second before he remarked, "But I know for a fact that there's already someone else in that person's heart."

"Oh. That could be a problem."

"Yeah," the Substitute Shinigami agreed. "My old man said a heart could always be swayed as long as the person is not committed to anyone, so I should take my chances anyway. But the thing is, I've known this person for a while now, and it took a lot of efforts to get to this point in our relationship, so I don't want to ruin everything by confessing."

Again, Byakuya took a careful look at Ichigo.

"The feeling won't fade away just because you ignore it, Ichigo," Byakuya commented. "If anything, it would last longer because it never had a proper closure."

"So you're suggesting that I should confess my feeling just to get rejected and ruin everything?"

"It doesn't always to end negatively," Lord Kuchiki pointed. "If I know anything about you, it is that you have this amazing ability to move people's hearts. If this person knows you even half as well as I do, she would not reject you."

Ichigo quickly looked up to Byakuya with a glimpse of hope behind his brown eyes, but the look disappeared just almost as soon as it was there.

"Now you only said that to cheer me up."

Since Ichigo looked away again, Byakuya could only try to read Ichigo's thought from his facial expression, which didn't reveal anything much aside from his perpetual scowl.

"You know me, Ichigo. I do not say something unless I really mean it," Lord Kuchiki remarked.

Ichigo scoffed.

"Right, but if I were to confess to you here and now, you wouldn't accept my feeling, would you?"

Byakuya stared at Ichigo, trying to figure out if Ichigo tried to imply something or he simply wanted to contradict his words. However, since the boy didn't meet his eyes, it was difficult to tell just what was going on in his head. In the end, Byakuya couldn't really tell which case it was, so he worded his reply carefully as he didn't want to make things awkward between the two of them.

"You'll have my reply to that question only when you actually confess to me," he said, keeping his tone light. "However, since that's not the case, there's no point in discussing it."

It was Byakuya's turn to turn away from Ichigo and look out to the yard where the plum trees were.

"Anyway, just take my words to your consideration, Ichigo," Byakuya continued, "because sometimes you only get one shot at something really good, and you would not want to waste that chance just to look back and wonder what it could have been like if you had chosen a different path."

"Are you speaking from experience or something?"

"I have my fair share of regrets from denying my own heart," Byakuya replied. "If it could be helped, I'd prefer not to see you follow the same path. Besides, I find it unlike you to give up without a fight."

Ichigo turned to look at the side of Byakuya's face before he promised, "I'll think about it. I mean, it's not like the person isn't worth fighting for."

Byakuya studied Ichigo's expression once again, and for a moment there, he wondered just what kind of person the one who had captured Ichigo's heart actually was.

"In that case, I wish you the best of luck with whichever choice you make."

"Thanks, Byakuya. It means a lot coming from you."

Lord Kuchiki turned to Ichigo and gave him a hint of a smile and a nod to acknowledge his gratitude.

"By the way, shall we head away from this hall?"

Ichigo furrowed his brows slightly before he shot his eyes back to the way Byakuya had come out from.

"You're not going back in there to spend more time with Hisana-san?"

Byakuya looked back at the hall for a second before he turned to face Ichigo and shook his head.

"Hisana has been gone for more than half a century now, you know," the noble lord pointed.

"Yeah, but you still love her, right?"

Byakuya nodded.

"I do," the nobleman replied honestly. He also noticed the way Ichigo winced slightly as he heard his response. "But she's no longer here, and I cannot keep holding on to her memories forever. Time has changed, and it would only hurt if I refused to move forward."

Ichigo widened his eyes at Byakuya's words.

"Wait. Does that mean—?" Ichigo stopped in the middle of his sentence and narrowed his eyes as if to try to find the right word for his question.

"I am not actively looking for a new romance if that's what you're wondering," Byakuya stated even before Ichigo could decide on how to phrase his question. "However, I am not shutting myself off from any possibilities either."

Ichigo blinked twice as his brain tried to process the new information.

"Seriously? You're open to possibilities of new love?"

"Yes, I believe that is what I said. Now that we're clear on that, shall we head out of this hall?" Byakuya asked once again. "I don't even know why you should be interested in my love life or lack of it anyway."

Byakuya turned and was about to head away from the hall without waiting for Ichigo's response yet he had to stop dead on his track when Ichigo replied from behind him:

"I might have an ulterior motive."

Byakuya held his breath for a second before he released it. He didn't turn back to look at Ichigo when he asked in the tone that he hoped was neutral enough.

"Should I be alarmed?"

Ichigo pursed his lips for a second before he replied, "In a way, yes."

Since Ichigo worded his response in such a way, Byakuya had no choice but to turn back and look at the Substitute Shinigami with a raised brow as if to urge the teen to explain himself.

Ichigo looked down to the wooden porch before he continued, "I like you."

Slate eyes were widened. Deep down he knew where the conversation was leading, but Byakuya still had to make sure he didn't look too deep into things.

"And that should alarm me because...?"

"I like you," Ichigo repeated himself once again although this time he actually looked up and allowed his chocolate eyes to meet with Byakuya's slate ones. "And I'm saying so in a romantic kind of way."


	11. Spring, Cloud and Promise

A/N: Thank you for your continuous support, and my apology for the long wait. As I often say, romance isn't exactly my forte in writing, so the installment is a little bit of a pain to write. I do hope that you'll enjoy the way this turn out, but in any case please feel free to comment and criticize.

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><p><em>11: Spring, Cloud and Promise<em>

The Hollow stretched himself and let out a long yawn before he walked out of one of the windows of one of many skyscrapers which were located in Ichigo's inner world. He furrowed his white brows as he came out and found the whole world being darkened by thick clouds that blocked the sun from the sky. While it had yet to rain, it looked like it could rain at any given moment.

Although it took him more than just a little while to search for his sole companion in that world, the Hollow managed to find the old man Zangetsu standing on a hilt of a katana at the side of one building. Despite the whole world being darkened by the clouds, Zangetsu still wore his shades as though the darkness did not bother him at the slightest.

"Oi, Zangetsu, what's with all the dark clouds here?" the Hollow inquired. "It was still all bright and sunny when I went inside to take my nap."

Zangetsu turned toward the Hollow before he explained in a bored tone as though he was talking about a commonly known fact:

"You must have slept for a long time, then. The world has been foggy since Ichigo realized he has a feeling for Kuchiki Byakuya. It only turns cloudy now because he has just confessed said feeling."

The Hollow didn't look impressed by the explanation.

"Oh, has he, finally? Took him long enough," the Hollow commented with a half shrug. "Still, what's with these clouds? I wouldn't be surprised if the sky turned all pink with fluffy heart-shaped clouds or if the whole world would have already been submerged. Not that I would prefer to live in either set up, mind you, but a cloudy world? Really?"

"Well, Kuchiki Byakuya has yet to reply, but let's just say Ichigo believes he's going to be rejected," Zangetsu said before he looked away from the Hollow and then focus his eyes on the dark cloud that was covering half of the inner world. "After all, he always believed that Kuchiki Byakuya would never return his feeling, and if it wasn't out of an impulse, he would probably have never confessed at all."

The Hollow rolled his eyes. The expression on his colorless face said that he couldn't be more annoyed at the man he dubbed as the king.

"Seriously, the king just worries too much for his own good," the Hollow observed. "If it were me, I'd just jump the guy and get it over with. If it fails, at least I'll get a good battle out of it."

Zangetsu gave the Hollow a side glance.

"Not everything is as simple as you make it out to be."

Again, the Hollow rolled his yellow eyes upward.

"What's not simple about this?"

Zangetsu turned to the Hollow once again, and then stared at him through the shade.

"For a start, both Ichigo and Kuchiki Byakuya are male."

The Hollow furrowed his brows. "Yeah, so? What's the problem with that?"

The zanpakutō sighed softly before he shook his head.

"You may find no problem with that, but unlike you, people don't just live their lives according to their instincts. There are certain social standards to follow."

The Hollow shrugged and made a face that said he couldn't care less about humans' rules.

"Their losses."

Zangetsu made no attempt to say whether he agreed or disagreed with the comment. He simply went on and explained:

"Anyhow, Kuchiki Byakuya is man who is bounded by every rule and custom that his world has to offer. I doubt he would be too thrilled about being confessed to by a man."

"Huh? Really? But he kinda looks like he's also interested in the king to me."

"That may be the case," Zangetsu said noncommittally, "but is this interest of his enough to make him throw away all the rule books?"

The Hollow shrugged as if to say he had no idea about that either.

"Who knows? That guy is pretty much a paradox wrapped in an enigma," the Hollow commented. With a smirk, he added, "Though I had a feeling he would look much better wrapped in a birthday suit."

Zangetsu furrowed his brows slightly as he looked at the Hollow.

"Must you always have a dirty mind?"

"What can I say? I'm the king's primal instinct. I want what he wants, though in a rawer and less refined way, and I'm telling you, old man, since our first meeting, I've always wanted a piece of that Shinigami," he admitted, then with yet another smirk, he added, "in one way or another."

Zangetsu narrowed his eyes and looked at Ichigo's Hollow side warily.

"And you wonder why Ichigo was reluctant to accept that you are a part of him."

The Hollow chuckled.

"He just envies my ability to express myself clearly," he explained. "Still, it's too bad I'm not the one who's running the show, so all we can do is waiting for the result."

Zangetsu nodded to show his agreement on the part that they would have to wait and see if their world would be submerged under water yet again.

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><p>Just as Zangetsu and the Hollow were sitting back and watching the event unfold from within Ichigo's inner world, the Substitute Shinigami had a feeling that his face was probably switching colors like a police siren, as it would turn red from the blushing and then blue from the suffocating feeling that was caused by the long silence that occurred right after he had told Byakuya that he liked the man in a romantic sense.<p>

After everything was said, Ichigo couldn't help thinking that he had, once again, got himself into a predicament just because he couldn't control his impulse. However, because what had already been said could not be unsaid, all he could do was waiting nervously for the consequences of his confession.

In any cheesy, cliché, romance novel; Byakuya would have broken into tears and told Ichigo that he also felt the same and had been waiting for Ichigo to make the first move just because he didn't have the courage to confess first. Then they would share a passionate, dramatic kiss before they lived happily ever after. However, since Ichigo's life was nothing like a life of a lead character in a cheesy, cliché, romance novel; Ichigo expected the nobleman to freak out, call him crazy and then tell him to get lost before he unsheathed Senbonzakura and diced him with it just to show that he could never return Ichigo's affection. At best, Byakuya would turn him down gently and say that he wished them to remain friends, yet even if that would be the case, Ichigo was sure their relationship would not be able to remain in the same way as it had been before he confessed.

While Ichigo was bracing himself for a heartbreak to come, Byakuya simply blinked once and looked away as if to try to find the best way to react. It took him a long moment until he finally turned his eyes back to Ichigo. Although Ichigo couldn't interpret the look behind those slate eyes, he could still tell that it wasn't a look of disgust or fury, which was enough to ease Ichigo's nerves if only for a short moment.

"Thank you," Byakuya finally spoke after a long pregnant pause. The tone of his voice gave away nothing about what the nobleman was actually thinking at that moment.

"Thank you?" Ichigo repeated. He believed he had thought of all possible responses he could get from Byakuya, but he certainly did not expect that the nobleman would thank him for the confession.

Byakuya nodded once.

"It is very flattering to know that a remarkable person such as yourself should harbor some kind of affection for me," the nobleman explained before he turned and began walking slowly away from the hall.

Ichigo quickly followed Byakuya down the stone pavement, knowing that their conversation was still far from over. What he didn't know, however, was what else Byakuya planned to say after that line.

"But I'm a man," Ichigo pointed when he sensed that Byakuya wasn't going to say anything further.

"I know," Byakuya replied without turning to look at Ichigo. He simply kept on walking.

"And you're also a man."

"I am well aware of that also."

Still, Byakuya kept on walking, and Ichigo wasn't sure if the man simply wanted to discuss this matter away from the hall where the souls of his late wife and ancestors could be watching, or he was just trying to walk away from that conversation. In any case, Ichigo simply kept walking to catch up with the man.

"Then shouldn't you at least act a little more surprised?" Ichigo wondered.

Byakuya stopped walking before he turned to Ichigo and replied, "I would if I was, but the truth is I have, at times, considered the possibility that you might have harbored a romantic feeling for me."

Ichigo widened his eyes. He never thought that Byakuya could have suspected anything about his feeling. After all, Ichigo had only realized it in their previous meeting, and he didn't think there was anything that he had done to make it so obvious to Byakuya.

"Then why didn't you say anything before?" Ichigo asked. "I mean, doesn't that thought bother you at all?"

Byakuya sighed softly at the question. Then, instead of giving Ichigo a full explanation as to why he chose not to mention it, he replied with a question of his own.

"And if that thought was completely incorrect, what would be your reaction?" Ichigo grimaced in response, so Byakuya continued, "From the way I see it, you would either deny or admit it. In former case, you would think I was either a little too conceited or very much out of my mind, and then we might be able to laugh it off and pretend that I never mentioned it; whereas in the latter case, we would be having this conversation, which, to be honest, is a conversation I wish we would never have to have."

Ichigo looked down and his face fell, since he could only interpret Byakuya's word in one way.

"So you can't return my feeling?"

Byakuya looked away from Ichigo before he closed his eyes and replied:

"If there was no chance that I would think of you in that sense, do you reckon that I would have entertained the notion that you might have a feeling for me to begin with?"

Ichigo turned his head up and stared at Byakuya with his eyes widened. If it was not because of a troubled expression that was on the Shinigami's face, he would have thought that Byakuya was having a good time sending his heart on a roller coaster.

"Then what do you mean?"

Byakuya sighed. Once again, he averted his eyes from Ichigo and cast them on the garden.

"Do you know that everything has its place and time?" Byakuya asked, not answering Ichigo's prior question. "Like that plum tree over there," he said, motioning to a tree that just began to blossom, "it can only be grown in Seireitei and it can only blossom in early spring."

Ichigo blinked twice. He simply didn't know how Byakuya managed to shift the subject of their conversation from one of romance to one of gardening.

"Um... okay?" Ichigo replied, not quite sure what kind of message the noble lord was trying to convey.

"The same goes to romance," Byakuya continued, still keeping his eyes on the tree. "Even if the feelings were there, it would still not be fruitful to start anything when the timing is not right. And unfortunately, now is not the right timing for us."

"Why?"

Again, Lord Kuchiki sighed.

"If I am getting ahead of myself here, then I apologize," he said, "but I assume you did not only confess just so I would be aware of your feeling, but also because you want our relationship to evolve into a romantic kind?"

Ichigo confirmed Byakuya's point with a nod.

"Isn't that the usual expectation when one confesses?" the teen returned.

The Shinigami could only nod in agreement. He then began to walk once again, not because he wanted to get out of that conversation but rather because the action often helped to ease his mind when he was most agitated.

"Do you know what differentiates relationships between that of friends and that of lovers?" Byakuya asked without any preamble. He then stopped walking once he stood under one plum tree. He turned to look at Ichigo, who was standing just half a step behind him. "And before you get any ideas, I'm not talking about physical relations."

Ichigo's face turned as red as a ripe strawberry at Byakuya's last sentence, which Byakuya would have been amused by the reaction had they not been in a rather serious conversation.

"Of course you're not," Ichigo muttered, still blushing at the mental images that entered his head right after Byakuya mentioned physical relations.

"I'm talking about certain expectations you would have for those you are in a romantic relationship with," Byakuya clarified passively as if he did not notice Ichigo's reaction.

"I don't know what you are looking for, Ichigo," the nobleman said, "but if I were to start a new romance, I'd want to do so with someone who I can share the rest of my future with. However, right now, you and I are living in literally two different worlds. My life is here in Soul Society while yours is in the World of the Living, and I don't see how we can fit into each other's lives this way."

Having said that, Byakuya sighed again. Then he continued just before Ichigo could make any comeback:

"You might say you can come around and pay a visit every now and again just like what you've been doing since you regained your Shinigami power, but soon your life would get busier and you are deemed to meet with new people along the way, some of which you might actually be able to share your dreams and your life with in a way that you would not be able to do with me now. Eventually we will grow apart and we would find ourselves wondering why we even started a relationship to begin with."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes as he stared at the side of Byakuya's face. The look in his chocolate eyes was a mix of pain and bitterness.

"You don't trust that my feeling is strong enough to get past that?" Ichigo asked; his voice raw.

"I do not doubt the strength of your feeling, Ichigo," Byakuya said, turning to meet Ichigo's eyes. "It is my own heart that I do not trust."

Ichigo blinked at that. "Meaning?"

"You know I was in love once?" Byakuya stated as he once again turned away from Ichigo and then tilted his head up to look at one branch of the plum tree.

"With Rukia's biological sister, Hisana-san," Ichigo said.

Byakuya nodded as if to confirm the fact.

"That love has left my heart rather scarred," the nobleman continued softly.

"Because of her untimely death?"

"That, and the fact that my love was never fully returned," Byakuya replied. Although there was a hint of sadness in his eyes, he didn't sound bitter.

Ichigo widened his eyes in surprised. He had always assumed it was some kind of great love story of a man and a woman who were from two different social standings. He had always believed that the pair would have to be very much in love because he couldn't see why Byakuya would have gone against all the rules so that they could be together otherwise.

"But I thought—"

"I would like to believe that she did love me in her own way. She was simply incapable of admitting so to me or to herself because her heart was eaten away by her regrets and she felt she did not deserve to be happy or to be in love after all the wrongs she had done in her past," Lord Kuchiki said. "But even with that thought, it still pained me when the last thing she said to me before she passed was her apology that she could not return my love."

Ichigo narrowed his eyes. He wouldn't pretend that he understood the pain, since he had never had that kind of experience.

"I don't want to go through with that again, Ichigo," Byakuya stated, "to let myself fall without any restraint just to hit the bottom without anyone there to catch me."

"You know I'm not her, right?"

Byakuya nodded.

"I know," he said, "and because of that, I can't accept your feeling now, for if I do, I'll certainly let a dark, possessive side of me creep up, and then I'll spend the rest of your human life, wondering if someday you'll meet someone else who you can actually share your life and dreams with and then you'll have a change of heart, or worse, I'd start to wish for your untimely death."

Ichigo found himself astounded by the words.

"You could just save us the trouble and ask me to stay here with you, you know?"

Byakuya shook his head.

"It would be easy for me to ask," he agreed, "but it would also be selfish and irresponsible. Trust me, Ichigo, even if you feel you could leave everything behind without any hesitation today, you would come to regret that decision sooner or later. And when that time come, you would hate me for that decision, if not, then you would hate yourself for it, and I don't want that to happen."

Ichigo furrowed his brows before he asked, "But you think I wouldn't regret giving up on you?"

Byakuya widened his eyes slightly before he closed them. It seemed to Ichigo that the nobleman couldn't quite answer that question.

Ichigo narrowed his eyes slightly as he took his time to think everything through. Then he nodded, giving Byakuya a look that he usually wore when he thought he had an upper hand on his adversary. After all, he had known Byakuya well enough to realize that sometimes what the Shinigami didn't say meant just as much if not more than what he had spoken aloud.

"Fine, Byakuya, I respect your stand in this matter," Ichigo said with finality in his tone, "but you'll also have to respect that as long as you don't make it clear that you'll never be able to return my feeling, then I'm not going to give up on you either."

Byakuya's eyes snapped open at Ichigo's remark, and Ichigo could see a genuine concern there.

"Don't worry, Byakuya, I'm not planning to do anything drastic like killing myself so that I can be together with you because even if I do that, it would prove nothing other than that I'm a stupid kid who can't see more than a few second ahead," the Substitute Shinigami said, "I'll go and live my life like you want me to, but I'll also prove to you that my feeling is not just an infatuation that will easily fade with time or disappear once I meet someone new."

"That is not something that can easily be proved."

"I know," Ichigo replied, "but I'm pretty persistent myself. Besides, I've got a feeling that despite everything you said before, you didn't really want me to give up on you either."

The comment made the corners of Byakuya's mouth curved slightly upward into a small smile that Ichigo wouldn't have noticed if he didn't know the nobleman's expression so well.

"Sometimes you are too observant for your own good, Ichigo."

Although it was not a straight answer, Ichigo decided he had enough clues to believe that he stood a chance, and in a way, that was more than he dared to hope for.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, back in the inner world, Zangetsu and the Hollow watched as the sky seemed to clear up slightly that they could see some light behind those clouds.<p>

"Hmm, looks like I still don't have to dig out my raincoat, after all," the Hollow commented as he tilted his head up to the sky.

Zangetsu nodded in agreement.

"I doubt our world will be bright and sunny again all that soon, but at least this is a good start."

The Hollow shrugged.

"Yeah, well, it'd probably take a long time for that. The guy is Kuchiki Byakuya, after all," he commented. "Sometimes I wonder why the king is such a glutton for punishment."

"Maybe Ichigo just likes a challenge," Zangetsu offered.

"Or he's a masochist," the Hollow pointed. "Either way, it's way too dull out here so I'm gonna go back to sleep. Wake me up when the sky is clear again, old man."

With that, the Hollow waved Zangetsu goodbye before he disappeared back into the skyscraper that he had come out from earlier that morning, leaving the zanpakutō to watch over Ichigo's inner world by himself once again.


	12. Rumors, Excursion and Milky Way

A/N: Many thanks for all reviews, alerts and favorites so far. It warms my heart to know that many readers enjoyed reading this story. It's been a long time, so I hope you haven't already forgotten this series and that this installment can make up for my disappearance somewhat. In any case, comments and criticisms are welcome as usual.

* * *

><p><em>12: Rumors, Excursion and Milky Way<em>

Ichigo wasn't sure if he should be amused or frustrated by the rumors that were spread around in Seireitei. At first, he couldn't quite blame people for thinking that he was trying to woo Rukia, since he himself might have given them the wrong impression. However, even after he had blatantly told them that the sole purpose of his last few visits was to see Byakuya, the rumor about him being romantically involved with Rukia still hadn't stopped. If anything, it had got even worse, since now everyone thought that the alleged relationship was serious to the point that Ichigo had been trying to get on Byakuya's good side so that the Shinigami would give their relationship his blessing.

Sometimes Ichigo felt a strong urge to broadcast his true intentions towards Byakuya to the whole Soul Society just to get the fact straight. After all, it wasn't as if he felt ashamed of the feeling that he had and it might also show Byakuya how serious he actually was. However, he wasn't sure if such announcement would trouble Byakuya and give the Shinigami yet another reason to pull back and keep him at arm's length. He already had a work cut out for him as it was, so he didn't need any other factor to make it more complicated.

Almost five months had passed since he confessed his feeling to Byakuya. To Ichigo's surprise and relief, the noble Shinigami didn't shun him right after he said he could not accept Ichigo's feeling. In fact, Byakuya would still welcome him with tea and chocolate cookies whenever Ichigo chose to visit the nobleman, and he still addressed Ichigo by his given name like he had done since the end of the war with the Quincy. However, Ichigo still felt that an invisible line was drawn in their relationship.

He noticed how Byakuya's become slightly more guarded with him although not to the point that he would act like the stuck up noble he seemed to be in their first few encounters. It was just that the Shinigami became more careful with his words and his actions, as if to make sure that he would not accidentally say or do something that had double meanings, and should he ever do so, he would quickly correct himself unlike in the past when he would normally leave everything he said up to Ichigo's interpretation.

It was unclear to Ichigo whether Byakuya meant to discourage him or the man simply did not want to lead him on. However, no matter what Byakuya's true reason was, Ichigo was not going to complain about it nor was he going to stop showing up at Byakuya's doorstep whenever he could. After all, Byakuya wasn't the only one who had a point to prove.

Which brought the subject back to Ichigo's trip to Soul Society.

Since Ichigo didn't think Byakuya would appreciate him showing up with a big bunch of roses and bringing some wine or any other alcoholic drink was out of the question as Ichigo was still a minor, the Substitute Shinigami opted to bring his favorite brand of ground roasted barley for Byakuya as a gift. After all, he knew for a fact that the Shinigami enjoyed drinking cold barley tea in summer days.

As soon as he got out of the Senkaimon, Ichigo took a short cut to the Kuchiki mansion. However, as soon as he reached downtown, Ichigo had to do a double take when he saw that all the roads in Seireitei were adorned with bamboos, colorful streamers, paper strips, paper kimono, origami cranes, paper purses, paper nets and decorative trash bags. Many kiosks were set up along the road, either selling food or snacks or providing carnival games to the people that were walking around in colorful yukata.

If the decorations told him anything, it would be that Soul Society was celebrating Tanabata Festival, which was traditionally held on the seventh day of the seventh month to honor the legend of Vegas and Altair, otherwise known as Orihime and Hikoboshi, the two star-crossed lovers who got separated by the Milky Way and could only meet once a year during the Tanabata night. It was a romantic yet sad legend, and it reminded him of his own love life, except that he could see Byakuya more often than Hikoboshi got to see Orihime and that Hikoboshi and Orihime were very much in love whereas Ichigo wasn't too sure about how Byakuya actually felt about him.

Ichigo would have spent more time pondering on the subject if it hadn't been for the fact that he saw his red-haired friend, Abarai Renji, walking toward his direction and raising his hand up as greeting. Renji was not wearing his shihakushō, but instead he was wrapped in a midnight blue yukata with a pattern of white and yellow stars as if he wanted to get into the festival spirit.

"Yo, Ichigo. I didn't think I'd see you here today."

Although Renji greeted him with a smile, Ichigo still felt that said smile was a little strained.

"What's up, Renji? You don't look too happy to see me," Ichigo commented.

"What the heck are you talking about, Ichigo?" Renji quickly denied, "Why wouldn't I be happy to see you?"

Ichigo shrugged before he gave Renji a dark grin, "Well, maybe because you're planning to ask Rukia out to the festival with you to see fireworks and stuff like that, but you feel you can't do that now that I'm in Soul Society?"

Renji widened his eyes in surprised. However, before the lieutenant could come up with any lame explanation, Ichigo patted the man softly on the shoulder and kept his hand there.

"Man up, dude," he said, "if you like her, just tell her and ask her out on a date already. If you keep being unclear about it, you would lose her to some other guy someday."

Renji furrowed his brows and gave Ichigo an incredulous look.

"What the heck are you saying, Ichigo? Aren't you two dating?"

Ichigo rolled his eyes and sighed. He wasn't sure if he was really that good at hiding things or Renji was really that dense.

"Trust me, Renji, if Rukia and I were really dating, you'd have already been punched in the face for even thinking about hitting on her behind my back," Ichigo said grimly. "Seeing that I still haven't mopped the floor with you yet, no, Rukia and I aren't dating."

Renji blinked.

"Huh? Then why would you frequent the Kuchiki Mansion and even try to get on Kuchiki-taichō's good side if you're not dating or trying to woo her?"

Instead of explaining himself, Ichigo gave Renji a cryptic smile and replied with a question, "Haven't you ever considered that maybe I'm targeting on a different Kuchiki entirely?"

With that said, Ichigo removed his hand from Renji's shoulder. Seeing that Renji's brain was still processing Ichigo's answer, he patted the man's shoulder again.

"Anyway, I'm off to Byakuya's now, so you'd better go and ask Rukia out before someone else beats you to it. I'll catch you later then, Renji."

Without waiting for Renji's response, Ichigo continued on his way to the Kuchiki Mansion, leaving Renji behind to wonder just how many members of the Kuchiki Clan Ichigo actually knew. It wasn't until half a minute after Ichigo had left that Renji's crimson eyes became widened.

"But I thought of the whole Kuchiki Clan, you only know Rukia and Kuchiki-taichō. If it's not Rukia, then you've gotta be aiming for..." Renji didn't dare to finish his own thought, since he couldn't see how it could be possible. He turned, hoping to get a denial from his friend, only to realize that Ichigo had long since disappeared into the crowd. "Oi! Ichigo! Tell me you were just kidding!"

* * *

><p>It didn't take too long to walk away from the crowded area and then entered a less busy street that would lead the way to the Kuchiki Mansion. Ichigo stopped at the front gate of said mansion to take a deep breath. He wondered if it was normal to feel nervous just because he was about to see the person he liked.<p>

Before Ichigo felt ready, the old butler of the Kuchiki family approached to him and then bowed down as greeting.

"Good morning, Kurosaki-dono," the butler said. "I'm afraid Byakuya-sama is attending the clan council at the moment."

Sometimes he wondered just how much the old man knew about his intentions towards the master of the house, since lately the butler never seemed to mention Rukia when Ichigo came to visit and simply greeted him with the assumption that he was there to see Byakuya.

"Oh, is that so?" Ichigo asked, not quite able to hide the disappointment. From what he had heard, the clan council could last from two hours to the whole day, depending on the agenda of the meeting, so chances were Byakuya would not be free to see him at all on that day.

"However, the meeting should be over within around one hour," the butler suddenly added. "You can come back and see Byakuya-sama at that time, or you are welcome to come and wait inside if that is what you prefer."

"I'll wait," Ichigo decided. He didn't have any other plan aside from coming to the Kuchiki Mansion to meet Byakuya, so he might as well just wait there instead of going out and risk being seen and challenged to a duel by someone from the Eleventh Division.

"In that case, please follow me this way, Kurosaki-dono."

Since Ichigo had expected the butler to take him to the living room, he was surprised that the old man led him to a different direction from usual and brought them to the part of the mansion that Ichigo wasn't sure if he had been to before.

"The living room is used for the council meeting at the moment," the butler explained as if he could read Ichigo's thought. "I hope you wouldn't mind waiting at Byakuya-sama's study instead."

The butler stopped once they reached to one sliding door that didn't look any different from any other doors in Ichigo's opinion. How they managed to tell each room apart was still beyond him.

Sliding the door open, the butler made a gesture for Ichigo to walk in.

"Are you sure Byakuya wouldn't mind someone coming into his office without his permission?" Ichigo asked as he entered the room and then cast his eyes around the room.

He had to admit he was surprised that Byakuya's study was not decorated in a traditional style with tatami flooring and low tables. Instead the room had parquet flooring, possibly because it had to withstand the weight of all bookshelves that were set next to the walls at the left and the right side of the room. The writing table that Byakuya used was not a low table but a large oak desk with a matching chair. There was also a sofa set, placed at the left corner of the room, not too far from the door. However, the thing that caught Ichigo's eyes most was none of the furniture. Instead, it was that one glass wind chime that was hung on the ledge of the window just behind the desk. It looked like it didn't actually belong there, since everything else in the room seemed to be of high quality and high price, whereas that wind chime appeared to be old and worn.

"Byakuya-sama receives his guests in this room from time to time, so it should be fine," the butler replied before he made a gesture for Ichigo to sit down on one armchair in the sofa set. "Please make yourself at home, Kurosaki-dono. I shall bring you some refreshment shortly."

With that said, the butler bowed down at Ichigo as if to excuse himself, then he stepped out of the room, leaving Ichigo alone in Byakuya's study. Once the butler left, Ichigo headed towards the window and tilted his head up to get a closer look at the wind chime.

Ichigo widened his eyes, as he recognized the painting of blue Chinese bellflower and green leaves, which identify it as the same wind chime as the one he had given to Byakuya a year ago as a gift of gratitude. It was a big surprise to Ichigo, since he had always thought that Byakuya would just put the wind chime away somewhere in a storeroom without ever bringing it back out into the light again or in the case that Byakuya should choose to use it, the nobleman would have just hung it to some tree in the garden not in his own study room. Seeing the wind chime being hung in a good condition even after a year had passed since he had given it to the man made Ichigo wonder if he was allowed to read into things and think that it actually meant something more than just that Byakuya liked the particular gift.

Ichigo kept his eyes on the wind chime and couldn't help smiling slightly when he thought back to the time when he gave said wind chime to Byakuya. He still recalled how awkward their conversation had been and how Byakuya acted as if he didn't want to have anything to do with him, yet gradually warmed up to him with each and every new meeting. The more he got to know Byakuya, the more he realized there were more to Byakuya underneath the cold mask he had been wearing. Byakuya was actually likable, and Ichigo couldn't really pinpoint exactly how or when Byakuya had captured his heart. It just happened, and it was too late for Ichigo to do anything except for trying to win Byakuya's heart.

Although he heard soft footsteps coming toward the room, Ichigo didn't bother to turn around and simply kept his eyes on the wind chime while he reminiscing the past, because he believed it was just the butler or one of the servants coming in to serve him some drink. Therefore, Ichigo almost jumped out of his skin when he heard that familiar stoic tone coming from behind him.

"Good morning, Ichigo."

Ichigo quickly turned around, and his face lit up the moment saw that Byakuya walking in. Just like every other time he was not on duty, Byakuya was not wearing the captain uniform. On that day, the man was clad in a royal blue kimono with black obi. Because Ichigo didn't think Byakuya would go to the Kuchiki Family Council, dressing so informally, he reckoned the nobleman would at least wear a haori to the meeting. However, since it was a hot summer day, Byakuya might have already taken off the haori before he came to greet Ichigo.

"Oh, hey, Byakuya," Ichigo said before he smiled at the nobleman as greeting. "I thought you wouldn't be out of the meeting for another hour."

"There was not much to discuss today, and even if there were, I doubted anyone would be in the mood to have a long discussion in this kind of weather," Byakuya commented. "In any case, I'm sorry for keeping you waiting."

"That's okay. It's my own fault for dropping by without any appointment," Ichigo replied before he stepped away from the window to approach to Byakuya who was standing by the sofa set. "Oh, by the way, I remember you like drinking cold barley tea in summer, so I bought you some ground roasted barley from the World of the Living. I don't know if it'd suit your taste though."

With that said, Ichigo handed Byakuya the small bag which contained a box of roasted barley that he had been carrying with him since he came from the World of the Living. Instead of refusing it, Byakuya simply accepted the gift.

"Thank you," Byakuya said. "I must say I'm surprised you actually remember something like this."

"If it's about you, then I can remember every little detail."

There was a peculiar look in Byakuya's eyes when he heard Ichigo's line, but the look disappeared almost as soon as it was there. Ichigo wondered if Byakuya would make any comment on that line, since Ichigo realized right after he had said it how mushy it might have sounded even though it wasn't Ichigo's intention to sugarcoat any words.

"Have you eaten anything before you come here?" Byakuya asked, not so subtly changing the subject as he walked to his writing table and simply put the tea box there.

"If you mean breakfast, yes," Ichigo replied, not quite sure what the older man was getting at.

"In that case, shall we talk over lunch?" Byakuya asked. "The family meeting always makes me feel drained."

Ichigo stared at Byakuya for a moment as he was surprised that Byakuya should invite him to have lunch together. Granted, there shouldn't be any special meaning behind it, since it was just lunch and they would probably be eating inside the Kuchiki Mansion anyway, but Ichigo was still excited about it regardless.

"Okay, sure."

"In this case, let's head out," Byakuya said, gesturing his hand to the door.

Ichigo blinked at the suggestion.

"We're eating out?"

Lord Kuchiki nodded.

"I just used you as an excuse not to stay and have lunch with the elders, so yes, we are."

"Well in that case, I'm glad to be of any use to you then," Ichigo said before he walked with Byakuya to the door. "Where are we heading to, by the way?"

"Can you eat spicy food?" Byakuya asked.

"Of course. I love spicy food."

Byakuya acknowledged the answer with a nod.

"Then I know a good place."

* * *

><p>Ichigo was a little surprised that the place Byakuya was talking about turned out to be a small restaurant in the second district of North Rukongai since there were many fancy restaurants in Seireitei to pick from, though it was a welcome surprise, since Ichigo would feel too out of place if he were to eat in one of those fancy places that he imagined Byakuya frequented.<p>

However, as the restaurant seemed to be very ordinary, he partially wondered if Byakuya picked the place just to keep away from prying eyes. If that was Byakuya's intention, then it would still not serve that purpose since Ichigo noticed people's eyes on them ever since they stepped into the place.

"Seriously, Byakuya, do you always get this much attention everywhere you go?" Ichigo finally asked after they had ordered their lunch.

Byakuya raised an eyebrow slightly before he quickly scanned the room and realized just how other guests of that restaurant were watching them.

"I think it's you they're staring at," the noble lord observed.

"Huh? Why would they be staring at me? I'm nobody here, but you're a captain and a noble."

"Even if they have heard my name, I highly doubt anyone in this district actually knows my face, and there is nothing that would give away my identity, since I'm not in my uniform or wearing any noble heirlooms," Byakuya stated. "You, on the other hand, are wearing a shihakushō. Even if they do not know who you are for certain, they can still tell that you are a Shinigami, and they would stare at you for that fact alone."

"Well, in that case, I'm sorry for drawing us some unwanted attentions."

"That is not something you need to apologize for," Byakuya remarked. "Pay them no heed and they should lose their interests soon enough."

Despite what he had told Ichigo, Byakuya still shot a cold glare toward a few of the customers who had been staring at them, making those customers avert their eyes very promptly. Seeing such an action from Byakuya, Ichigo felt a little sorry for those customers, since he knew exactly what it felt like to be a subject of that nobleman's cold glare, but then again, they probably brought that on themselves when they couldn't simply mind their own business.

Ichigo didn't realize he had chuckled at the thought until he felt Byakuya's eyes on him. That cold glare had been replaced with a softer look when the nobleman looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"What is so amusing?" Lord Kuchiki wondered.

"Well, you said we should pay them no heed but you still glared them down," Ichigo commented lightly. "And here I thought you'd be more than used to being the center of people's attention that you wouldn't be fazed by anyone's stares."

"If it was just about me, I wouldn't have been bothered," Byakuya commented and left it as that. "By the way, do you come to Soul Society today because of the Tanabata Festival?"

Ichigo shook his head.

"To be honest, I didn't know you guys also celebrate this festival in Soul Society until I saw the decorations. I only drop by because I happen to have some free time."

"I see."

"I've gotta say I'm a bit surprised the festival is celebrated today, though," Ichigo added. "I mean, I always thought Soul Society used a lunisolar calendar and would celebrate each festival on a different date from the World of the Living."

"Now you know that we don't."

"Yeah."

Their conversation was then interrupted by the middle-aged waitress who came to serve them glasses of iced green tea. Byakuya nodded his thanks to the woman and waited until she left their table before he continued their conversation.

"By the way, this reminds me. There should also be the same festival in the World of the Living today, am I correct?"

Ichigo nodded as a response.

"In that case, do you plan to go back and celebrate with your friends in the World of the Living?"

For that question, Ichigo shook his head.

"I'd rather be here with you."

"Ichigo..."

The Substitute Shinigami didn't really need the older man to finish his sentence to be able to tell that Byakuya did not feel all too comfortable to hear him say anything sentimental, especially after Ichigo had come clean with his feeling towards the man.

"You asked, so don't blame me for answering truthfully," he said, "and the truth is, Byakuya, even though I get along fine with my classmates and there're also a few people who seem to be interested in me; in the end, none of them know who I really am. I mean, I can't just tell them I'm a hybrid between human and every supernatural species imaginable. They'll just think I'm crazy or worse, they'll believe me and I'd end up as someone's lab rat or as a headliner of some freak show. It's impossible to make a real connection with anyone when you have to keep so many things secret. With you, though, I don't need to hide anything or pretend to be something that I'm not."

For once, Byakuya didn't really have the right response for Ichigo's words. However, he was saved from having to respond right away when the waitress returned to their table with the food they had ordered.

Ichigo glanced at the food, which was a big bowl of spicy udon. Although the food look rather ordinary, its smell made Ichigo feel hungry.

"Wow, this smells delicious," Ichigo commented, changing the subject completely. "I wonder if it'll taste as good as it smells."

"I wouldn't bring you all the way here if I didn't think the food tasted good," Byakuya pointed.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow as if to challenge Byakuya's point.

"Well, I guess I'll eat it and see if you're right. Itadakimasu."

With that said, Ichigo picked up his chopsticks and began to eat. Seeing so, Byakuya turned his attention to his own food.

"Itadakimasu," said the nobleman before he picked up his chopsticks and started eating as well.

After he took a few bites, Ichigo looked up from the noodle bowl and commented, "Well, you weren't lying. This is really delicious."

Byakuya raised an eyebrow, "Now why would I lie?"

Ichigo shrugged.

"To be honest, I thought you might have taken me all the way out here to avoid prying eyes in Seireitei."

Lord Kuchiki looked at his companion for a moment before he replied with one simple sentence that could answer to any unspoken doubts and insecurities Ichigo might have harbored.

"You are not my secret, Ichigo."

Ichigo blinked once at the comment. He wondered if Byakuya was really that good at reading him or he was just that obvious. However, in any case, he was still touched by Byakuya's remark.

"I'm glad to know that," the Substitute Shinigami said. The usual scowl on his face was replaced by a rare gentle smile, which was almost wiped away completely when he heard Byakuya's next sentence.

"However, I must admit that it would be a lie if I were to say I didn't think you would embarrass yourself should I take you to a restaurant that I actually frequent," the nobleman added impassively.

Ichigo groaned and glared at the nobleman.

"And here I was about to forget that you're a master of verbal abuse," the Substitute Shinigami said darkly. "Now I don't even know what stopped you from taking me to one of those fancy places just so I could embarrass myself for your amusement since you've got such a sadistic sense of humor anyway."

"I wonder why myself," Byakuya replied noncommittally before he turned his attention back to his food and continued eating.

Ichigo continued to glare at the nobleman for another moment but soon the look in his eyes were softened as he watched Byakuya's refined table manners. While Ichigo wouldn't say that his own manner was bad – after all, his mother had taught him well – the Substitute Shinigami still couldn't say that he would ever be as graceful as the man before him even if he spent the next decade practicing.

Realizing that he was staring, Ichigo shook his head and turned his attention back to his food and then continued eating.

"By the way, Byakuya, do you have any plan after this?" Ichigo asked casually after a moment of silence.

"No, I don't. Why did you ask?"

"Care to go to the fair with me after lunch? This is actually the first time I see a fair in Soul Society, so I'm kinda curious to see if it would be the same as a fair back in the World of the Living," Ichigo asked, but when he felt Byakuya's hesitation, he added, "but you don't want to go, then that's okay. I can just go by myself."

For a moment there, Ichigo thought Byakuya would decline his invitation, so he had to be surprised when the refusal didn't come.

"It's fine. I'll go."

"Eh? You will? Really?"

"I said so, didn't I?"

Ichigo beamed at the confirmation, though it only lasted for a second before Ichigo narrowed his eyes as he asked:

"Wait. You're not gonna say that you only agree because as a captain you can't just let me run around Soul Society without any supervision, are you?"

Byakuya raised an eyebrow, but before he could say anything in response, Ichigo raised a hand as a gesture to stop him, since he still remembered the way that Rukia had quoted what Byakuya had said to her when he allowed her and Renji to come to Hueco Mundo to assist him in his attempt to rescue Inoue all too well, and he was sure it would hurt more to hear something like that for the man himself.

"On a second thought, don't answer that," Ichigo said.

Byakuya seemed to be amused by Ichigo's behavior.

"Then I won't answer," said the noble. "Anyway, finish your lunch before it gets cold, Ichigo. I'll do the same. Once we're done we can go back to Seireitei and look around the fair."

Having no reason not to follow Byakuya's suggestion, Ichigo continued eating his lunch while being mindful of his manners so that he wouldn't eat too fast and choke himself to death.

* * *

><p>Although he had spent time walking in a fair together with Byakuya once in the previous year's Bon Festival in Naruki City, the circumstance was very different. In the World of the Living, no one paid them any attention, since they couldn't see Byakuya and to them Ichigo was just another random teenager. However, in Seireitei, people would stop to greet both of them or at least to greet Byakuya, so their conversation kept getting interrupted for so many times it was frustrating. The only redeeming thing about it was that everyone left after they were done with their greetings.<p>

"I've heard someone said it once that you were one of the best-known captains of the Gotei 13, but I never thought you'd be this popular," Ichigo commented as soon as the person who had just come over to greet them left.

"Those people just felt obligated to come and greet me since they're either my subordinates or from some noble houses that are in alliance with my family."

Ichigo would have been convinced had it not been for the fact that he had seen many women's goo-goo eyes directed towards Byakuya's direction every now and again.

"Right," Ichigo said sarcastically.

"I'm sorry for not warning you about this beforehand."

Ichigo waved Byakuya's apology off.

"It's fine. I kinda expect it already. I'd be more surprised if we can go totally unnoticed."

Having said that, Ichigo looked around the street and spotted a lemonade kiosk just in front of him, so he pointed at it.

"Anyway, I'm gonna go and buy us some lemonade," he declared, and Byakuya could say anything about it, he added, "And don't bother to refuse, Byakuya. You've already treated me to lunch, so I should at least be allowed to buy you some drink in return."

Not waiting for any reply from his current company, Ichigo simply went on with his plan, leaving Lord Kuchiki to watch him with an amused gleam in his slate eyes.

Ichigo returned a short while later with a large cup of lemonade in each of his hand. He handed one to Byakuya, who gingerly accepted the drink.

"It's a hot day, isn't it?" Byakuya commented as he watched Ichigo gulped down half of his drink in one go.

"Yeah," Ichigo said. "I'm surprised I don't feel exhausted, though."

Byakuya furrowed his brows. "Why should that even be a surprise?"

"Well, I haven't been feeling too well lately," the Substitute Shinigami noted. "At first, I thought it was because I didn't get enough rest, but even now that I've finished all assignments and had more time to rest, I still don't feel much better, so I think it might have something to do with the heat. That's why I said I was surprised I didn't feel tired today, since I think it's much hotter here than back in the World of the Living. Maybe heat waves in Soul Society and the ones on Earth don't have the same effects?"

Ichigo noted how Byakuya had a pensive look on his face for a moment and then seemed a little hesitant before he said the next line.

"Perhaps you should see a doctor and have a full checkup when you returned to your world to find out the real cause of your exhaustion?"

Ichigo was about to tell Byakuya not to worry about it and that he was sure it would get better after summer had passed. However, he swallowed down his words when he saw the look in Byakuya's slate eyes. He wasn't sure what that look actually was, but if he had to hazard a guess, he would say that the idea of someone getting sick without a certain cause simply did not bode well with Byakuya, for that was what happened to the man's late wife.

"Okay, I guess I can ask my old man to examine me after I get back home, but I'm sure it's really nothing. I mean, if it's really that bad, it should affect me in my spirit form too, right?"

Although Ichigo meant to reassure Byakuya of his well being, it appeared his effort failed miserably since the Shinigami didn't seem any less concerned, and that made Ichigo wondered if Byakuya knew something that he didn't. However, Ichigo brushed that last thought aside when Byakuya's expression returned to normal.

"It could probably be nothing as you said," Byakuya agreed. "Anyway, let's look around some more. You said you wanted to compare a fair in Seireitei and in the World of the Living, didn't you?"

* * *

><p>Ichigo came to a conclusion that a fair in Seireitei was not much different from ones in the World of the Living, except for the fact that everything had a retro feeling to it, as the whole Soul Society's setting, including the nobleman who had accompanied him for the whole afternoon, reminded him of a historical play.<p>

The thought made Ichigo glanced sideways to his companion. Despite the fact that they kept being interrupted by someone who knew either one or both of them or by some random merchants who insisted they wrote their wishes on a long paper and hung it on the wishing bamboos that were the shop's decorations and wouldn't stop bugging them until they did, Ichigo still had a good time. It was more or less what Ichigo had imagined how his date with Byakuya would go although he knew he couldn't really dub their current outing as a date no matter how much it felt like one at times, and once again, Ichigo wondered what really was on Byakuya's mind at the time.

As if he felt that was being stared at, Byakuya turned to Ichigo's direction. His face was still unreadable to Ichigo; however, he could tell that the look in those slate eyes was a degree softer than it normally was.

"So what do you think about the festival?" the nobleman asked. "How is it in comparison to ones in the World of the Living?"

"I can't really tell yet," Ichigo said. "I mean, the highlights of Tanabata Festival other than the decorations are Miss Tanabata pageant, a parade and the fireworks, so I'm gonna have to see them before I can judge."

"There will not be any parade or beauty pageant, I'm afraid," Byakuya remarked. "However, there will be fireworks displays in an hour or so."

"Oh, okay, it won't be long for that then," Ichigo commented as he looked up to the sky that had already turned dark after the sun had left the horizon. "Where's the best spot to see the fireworks?"

"People usually go up to the Sōkyoku Hill," Byakuya replied. "After all, it is the highest ground in Seireitei, so they could see fireworks without anything blocking their views."

Ichigo grimaced. He didn't really understand why people would go to such a place during a festival. Even if it was a good spot, that hill still had an eerie feel to it, as it had been used as an execution ground for as long as anyone knew and only stopped being used for that purpose because the Sōkyoku was destroyed when Ichigo came to rescue Rukia three years earlier. And if that alone wasn't bad enough, then there was also the fact that he and Byakuya had once had an all-out battle that could have ended their lives right there on that hill.

"Are there any other good spots?" the Substitute Shinigami asked. "I don't know about you, but that hill doesn't exactly hold my fondest memory."

Byakuya tilted his head up to look at the direction of the Sōkyoku Hill. Even though it was already dark and they were standing at quite a great distance from the hill, it was not hard to find the sign of destruction that had been caused three years ago by their battle should anyone knew where to look.

"In that case, I suppose the Senzaikyū Bridge is also out of the question?"

"Isn't there any less depressing place to go to?" Ichigo asked.

Byakuya didn't reply right away as he took a few seconds to search his memory for the best spots aside from the ones that had already been mentioned.

"I suppose we can go to the lake. It is a bit far from where the firework will originate, however."

Ichigo shrugged.

"That's fine. Anywhere is better than to go up the Sōkyoku Hill or the Senzaikyū Bridge."

"I'll show you to that lake, then."

With that said, Byakuya turned and led Ichigo away from the crowded street to a narrow lane away from the fair. It appeared they were heading to an opposite direction to where most people were heading, since all people they crossed paths with all headed for the Sōkyoku Hill.

It didn't take too long for them to reach to the lake that Byakuya mentioned. If Ichigo trusted Byakuya a little less and they hadn't been on a friendly term of late, Ichigo would have thought the nobleman had lured him out to murder him, since the lake was surrounded by a wood, and he saw no one else there but the two of them. The wood had blocked all the city lights, leaving the area around the lake and the sky above it in complete darkness, and all Ichigo could hear was the sound of crickets rubbing their wings.

"Well, this is a lot more secluded than I thought," Ichigo said. "I know it's not supposed to be a popular place for firework watching, but I expect there to be at least a few people around."

"It's a private property actually," Byakuya explained before he gingerly sat down by the rim of the lake facing south. "We will not see anyone unless they are trespassers."

Seeing Byakuya's action, Ichigo approached him and took the liberty to sit down right next to the nobleman.

"I see. So this place also belongs to the Kuchiki family, huh?" Ichigo asked after he sat down and then tilted his head up to look at the starlit sky. "Oh, well, we've already met more than enough people for one day anyway."

Byakuya responded with a soft chuckle. "Indeed."

"Do you come here often?" Ichigo asked. "I mean, I know you like watching the moon, and this seems like a good location for that."

"I only come here when I don't want to be found," Byakuya replied.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "So you don't want to be found now?"

"As you said it yourself, we have already met more than enough people for one day."

Ichigo allowed himself a small smirk before he leaned slightly backward so he wouldn't have to strain his neck to look at the night sky.

"This is really nice," Ichigo said as he felt a summer breeze blew past his face. "I think there's a chance that we'll actually see the Milky Way from here."

"Have you seen it before?" Byakuya asked as he, too, leaned backward slightly to have a better position to watch the sky. "The Milky Way, I mean."

"No," Ichigo replied. "It's hard to see anything in the night sky with all the lights in the city, you know. But you've probably seen for so many times that it's not something to be excited about, right?"

Byakuya turned to look at Ichigo before he replied, "Just because you've seen something so many times doesn't always mean that it will become any less fascinating."

With that, Byakuya turned back to the sky.

"There," he said, pointing his finger to the middle of the sky. "That's the Milky Way."

Ichigo followed Byakuya's finger with his eyes and saw a luminous band of light and clouds of stars that seemed to spread across the sky.

"Wow... so this is what it really looks like? Amazing," Ichigo exclaimed. "You wouldn't happen to know which star is Orihime and which one is Hikoboshi, too, would you?"

Hearing the excitement in Ichigo's voice, Byakuya felt he shouldn't disappoint.

"They are easy to spot, actually. You see that triangle?" Byakuya said, before he drew an imaginary triangle joining the three brightest stars on the sky. "That's the Summer Triangle. The brightest one is Orihime, and the second brightest one is Hikoboshi."

Ichigo took a moment to look at those stars.

"You sure know a lot of things about the stars, eh?" the Substitute Shinigami commented. He then turned his head slightly so that he could get a look at Byakuya's face although he wouldn't be able to see the man's expression since they were surrounded by complete darkness. "Do you think they get to meet tonight? Orihime and Hikoboshi, I mean."

Byakuya, on the other hand, still kept his eyes on the sky as he replied, "According to the legend, they should already be together as we speak."

Ichigo nodded before he turned his eyes back to the sky and gazed at those stars in the legend.

"It's a shame they'll be separated again for one more year after tonight," Ichigo said. "Though I think I understand why they would choose to wait for one another when it would be that much easier to simply forget one another and move on with their lives."

Ichigo could feel Byakuya's eyes on him, so he turned to face the man. However, since the nobleman didn't make any comment or ask him to elaborate, Ichigo decided to continue without any prompt.

"Some people are worth waiting forever for, even if you'd have to be alone while you wait for them," he said, "because one day with them means more to you than a whole year with others ever could."

"It would not be a wise choice to make."

"I never claimed to be wise," Ichigo said as he looked deep into Byakuya's slate eyes that were then black because of the lack of light in the area. "Besides, you're worth waiting forever for."

Almost at the exact moment Ichigo finished his sentence, the first firework of the firework displays was shot up to the sky with a loud boom. However, despite having gone to the lake to watch the fireworks, neither one of them actually turned to look at the fireworks, as at that moment, their eyes were locked together and time seemed to have stood still.

It was not the first time that Ichigo couldn't tear his eyes away from Byakuya nor was it the first time that he felt a strong desire to kiss that man. However, it was the first time that Ichigo gave in to the temptation and leaned forward to press his lips gently against Byakuya's.


	13. Kiss, Birthday and Insecurity

A/N: Thank you for all comments and criticisms. Although I failed to reply to them all personally, I appreciate all thoughts you've shared. While I planned to update since December, the year-end schedule didn't agree with me, so the update was delayed to mid-January and I apologize for that. I hope you'll enjoy reading this chapter as much as you did the previous ones. Happy 2013.

* * *

><p><em>13: Kiss, Birthday and Insecurity<em>

For a man who was supposed to have everything, Byakuya's life was surprisingly empty. He had spent the most part of his life going through the motions. Every path he had taken had been predetermined for him. All he had ever done was playing his part as perfectly as he could. It was easy; it was simple; and it was safe. He had everything anyone could ever need, but almost nothing that he actually wanted.

The one time he strayed from the path that he was supposed to be taking, it resulted in a huge uproar and cost his family a precious political alliance. Some said that he was foolish and that he was used, but he couldn't care less even if they spoke the truth. Because despite how his love was not returned, in the end, what really mattered to him was that he had loved and that he had found a kind of happiness that he never knew had been missing from his life. When that time was cut short, Byakuya was left so benumbed that it was not difficult to revert to the kind of life he used to lead – the one that was easy, simple, safe but empty.

Ever since then Byakuya couldn't find anyone who could touch, much less move his heart. He considered it a fortunate coincidence that no prestigious noble families wanted their ladies to be wedded to a widower, especially when the former wife of said widower was a mere peasant with questionable background, because if it were not the case, his family would have already tried to arrange a new marriage for him as soon as the mourning period for Hisana's death was over, and Byakuya would probably have no reason to disagree with the arrangement. However, since Byakuya hadn't been particularly interested in anyone and his family hadn't tried to find him a new wife, the subject of romance and marriage had not crossed Byakuya's mind again until very recently. And the subject was brought back to his mind by the last person anyone could have expected, Kurosaki Ichigo.

They first met in a summer night. The way they met was the worst first meeting imaginable with Byakuya stabbing Ichigo's twice in the chest, destroying the Shinigami power that was lent to the boy by Rukia and then leaving him to die alone in the falling rain.

In the world where anyone would hold a worse grudge for a lesser reason, Byakuya was more than a little surprised when he learned that Ichigo didn't fight him out of hatred or vengeance. That fight was not personal to Ichigo just as much as it was not personal to Byakuya. They were merely standing on different sides, with Ichigo fighting against the laws of Soul Society and Byakuya fighting to protect said laws.

After everything was said and done – despite the fact that Byakuya had attempted on his life, not only once, but three times – Ichigo had never asked for Byakuya's apology for what he had done to Ichigo. If there were anything that boy wanted from him at all, it would be for him apologize to Rukia. And Byakuya couldn't help wondering if the boy was always so forgiving or if it was because Ichigo didn't feel that Byakuya's apology was worth his regards.

Therefore, Byakuya began to observe Ichigo's behaviors from afar if only to find out what that human was truly made of. It didn't take long for him to realize that Ichigo was a type of person whose generosity was often extended to even his enemies. Although such kindness often it made him seem soft, Byakuya still admired that part of the Substitute Shinigami, for it took more strength to forgive and forget than to keep holding on to some old grudges. Ichigo had a good heart, and even though he was a hybrid of too many species than Byakuya cared to count and was viewed as abomination by some old, conservative nobles; the boy's soul was purer than the soul of those hateful nobles, and perhaps purer than most people Byakuya knew. Because of that, Byakuya had made a pledge to himself to do everything in his power to make sure that boy's spirit would never be broken or corrupted.

Even so, it was not in Byakuya's agenda to get close to the Substitute Shinigami. Ichigo, on the other hand, did not have that same agenda. He opted to address Byakuya so informally despite everything, and then he gradually wormed his way into Byakuya's confidence. Then, before Byakuya knew it, Ichigo had become quite special to him.

Byakuya never expected that Ichigo would develop any feelings of any kind for him, nor had he ever hoped that Ichigo would. However, somewhere along the line, the way Ichigo looked at him had gradually changed. For a long while, Byakuya thought his imagination had become overactive and brushed the idea that Ichigo might have looked at him in a romantic sense out of his mind. After all, Ichigo never struck him as a homosexual type, and should Byakuya be wrong about the boy's sexual preference, Ichigo had already seen Byakuya at his worst, so the nobleman very much doubted the Substitute Shinigami would be able to form a romantic feeling for him after everything he had known.

But then Ichigo had done yet another unexpected thing and confessed his feelings, and even after Byakuya had given him an unsatisfactory reply, Ichigo still stuck around with his usual can-do attitude.

Just as much as Byakuya knew that it would be in Ichigo's best interest if he were to keep his distance from the boy, Byakuya still allowed the Substitute Shinigami to remain as close to him as he had been before the confession, which was probably not the best move from his side because he ended up complicated things between them further by inviting Ichigo out for a lunch, which somehow ended with them spending the rest of the afternoon together, and then having that one kiss.

They were sitting by an artificial lake in one of the Kuchiki Family's private gardens, gazing at the stars while waiting for the firework displays to start. One thing led to another, and one minute they were discussing the legend of Altair and Vegas, and the next Ichigo's lips were already upon his.

The kiss was nothing sophisticated. In fact, it was no more than a gentle caress of lips – something very sweet, very chaste, and very inexperienced. From the way the kiss felt, Byakuya was almost certain that it was Ichigo's very first.

A darker, more primal part of Byakuya wanted to respond to that kiss, turn it into something far more passionate and far less innocent, and then teach Ichigo's the first lesson of untamed adult desires. However, a more responsible part of him reminded him that it was neither the time nor the place. It wouldn't be, at least not until the day Byakuya could honestly say without any reservation that he returned Ichigo's affection. If he were to allow things to go with the flow, he would only end up hurting Ichigo more than he suspected that he already had.

Hence, Byakuya let the kiss end without responding to it.

Ichigo pulled back a couple of seconds afterward. Byakuya could see it in that young man's brown eyes that he expected Byakuya to say something, possibly to scold him for that kiss. However, Byakuya had no reproach, so he just turned away and looked back to the sky where colorful fireworks were displayed. His mind was not in the show, but he kept his eyes there, for there was nothing else that he could have done unless he wished to throw away his conscience and let all consequences be damned.

And it seemed to Byakuya that Ichigo didn't pay attention to those fireworks either, since he sensed Ichigo's eyes on him throughout the whole show. Therefore, neither of them noticed that the firework displays were over until several minutes after it ended and some people were walking along the street just outside of the garden, discussing just how spectacular the fireworks had been.

'So what do you think?' Byakuya asked, breaking the silence.

He didn't look at Ichigo, so there was no way Byakuya could tell for certain what kind of expression Ichigo had on his face when he heard that question from him. However, his best guess would be that Ichigo would be blinking himself out of his reverie.

'About what?'

'The fireworks, of course,' Byakuya replied in a normal tone as if Ichigo had not just kissed him and they had not been in an awkward silence until just a moment ago. 'You said you would need to see them before you could compare Tanabata Festival here and in the World of the Living.'

Ichigo scratched the back of his neck as he searched for an acceptable answer.

'I don't think they are that much different.'

'I see. In that case, it's getting late, so shall we head to the Senkaimon?' Byakuya suggested.

'Yeah. I've bothered you for long enough for one day, anyway.'

'I wasn't bothered.'

'Then that's one more reason for me not to overstay my welcome.'

With that said, they both stood up. Byakuya took a short moment to straighten his clothes, whereas Ichigo couldn't seem to care less if his uniform got mussed from having sat and watched the stars and the fireworks. Once Byakuya was done straightening his clothes, he turned to Ichigo and gestured his hand towards the direction of the road.

They did not exchange any other words as they walked together to the location of the Senkaimon, for they both had quite a lot on their minds. The silence was awkward to say the least, but fortunately, it was not a long walk from the lake to where the Senkaimon was located.

'Thanks for today, Byakuya,' Ichigo said as they reached to the front of the Senkaimon.

'You're welcome,' Byakuya replied. 'I don't suppose you can tell when you will pay the next visit to Soul Society?'

Ichigo seemed to be surprised by the question. However, Byakuya would not blame him. After all, Byakuya had never asked him such a question before, and they would see one another whenever they would see one another. No promises had ever been made, and therefore, none had ever been broken.

'Not really,' Ichigo replied in all honesty, 'Why, Byakuya? Are you missing me already?'

'Now you're being cheeky,' Byakuya retorted.

Ichigo laughed at that.

'Well, since it's the first time you ever ask me when I'll be back here again, I think I'm allowed to be,' the Substitute Shinigami pointed.

If Byakuya were anyone else, he would have already rolled his eyes at Ichigo's response. However, since he was not anybody else, he simply shook his head slightly.

'Seriously though,' Ichigo continued, 'I can't really say when I'll be able to come again since exams are coming up, but I'll drop by as soon as I can."

Byakuya had a feeling that they could keep the banter up for the rest of the night if they really wanted to, so he decided not to drag it on.

'Take a good care of yourself until then, Ichigo,' said the noble. 'I'll see you when I see you.'

'Yeah, you too,' Ichigo replied. Although it was obvious that Ichigo realized it was his cue to leave, the Substitute Shinigami still stood there, looking at Byakuya as if he still had quite a lot more to say although he wasn't sure if he should really speak his mind.

'Well, then—' Byakuya began, deciding that since Ichigo couldn't make up his mind, he might as well say his farewell again to end their meeting or otherwise they would end up standing there, staring at one another for the rest of the night.

'I should get going,' Ichigo finished the sentence for Byakuya before he brought out a Hell's butterfly and then activated the Senkaimon in order to head back home in Karakura Town.

Byakuya acknowledged Ichigo's words with a nod, believing that Ichigo would simply walk through the gate. However, Ichigo took a deep breath and remarked:

'Just so you know, I really meant it when I said you were worth waiting forever for, and I really do intend to wait for as long as it'd take you to accept my feelings.'

Byakuya closed his eyes. He wasn't sure how to reply to such a statement.

'But I'm not sorry about that kiss just then,' Ichigo continued, taking Byakuya completely by surprise. 'See you later, Byakuya.'

And with that, Ichigo disappeared through the Senkaimon, not waiting for any reply from Byakuya who was staring after him with wide eyes.

It wasn't until after the gate had closed behind Ichigo that Byakuya managed to regain his composure and headed back to the Kuchiki Mansion, wondering if his assumption about Ichigo was wrong and the boy wasn't as innocent as he had believed him to be.

In any case, Byakuya had been left to wonder how to act around Ichigo in their next meeting because even though nothing had fundamentally changed in their relationship, it was not exactly the same either. Even so, he wasn't sure if he should be happy when Ichigo had not shown up in Seireitei again since that night.

It had been almost two months since the Tanabata Festival. While Byakuya wouldn't say that he missed Ichigo, he still wondered what the boy had been up to during the time that he had been absent, since there hadn't been any reports on the activities of the Substitute Shinigami for almost just as long.

Byakuya had considered asking either Rukia or Renji if they had heard from their friend. However, Rukia had once complained about Ichigo's disappearance, which meant that she couldn't have heard anything from the Substitute Shinigami either. As for Renji, for some reasons the lieutenant had been giving Byakuya weird looks whenever he thought Byakuya wouldn't notice, so if Byakuya were to bring Ichigo up in their conversation, he feared Renji would act even stranger; therefore, he never uttered a word to Renji about Ichigo.

Speaking of Renji, the lieutenant would have a birthday party later that night, and for the first time in the span of three years that Renji had been working under him, the lieutenant approached to Byakuya and invited him to said party.

"...Rukia, Kira, Hinamori and Hisagi-san will come," Renji stated, "and... well, I've also made a call to Urahara-san and asked him to invite Ichigo for me."

Byakuya wasn't sure if it was his own imagination, but Renji had that weird look on his face again when he mentioned Ichigo. And because of that look, Byakuya couldn't help wondering whether Renji had brought up Ichigo's name to make sure that Byakuya would turn down the invitation or he just thought he would mention it so Byakuya would not be surprised should he agree to join them and actually see Ichigo at the party. However, it didn't matter to him either way because he didn't intend to accept the invitation to begin with regardless of whether Ichigo was there or not.

"Thank you for the invitation, Renji, but there will only be your friends in this party, so I'd better not join."

"Actually, Rikichi and some other guys in our division will also join the party, taichō, so you would fit in just fine," Renji said, "but um... if it's because I've invited Ichigo...well, he hasn't given any reply yet, so he might not..."

Byakuya raised a hand as a gesture for Renji to stop babbling.

"It has nothing to do with Ichigo," Byakuya commented. "I just don't see how all of you would be able to have fun should I actually join the party."

Renji blinked at the reply, but the first thing he opted to ask was, "Did you just refer to Ichigo as Ichigo?"

Byakuya raised an eyebrow as if to ask Renji if it really mattered how he referred to people.

"Yes, I did," Byakuya replied. "Is there anything wrong with it?"

Renji blinked again. This time, it took him a little longer to get himself out of his stupor and then give Byakuya a sheepish reply:

"No, taichō, not at all."

Although he said nothing was wrong, Renji gave Byakuya yet another weird look that made Byakuya wonder if Renji had learned something about the development of his relationship with Ichigo. After all, it would explain why Renji had been given him all those strange looks.

"Enjoy your birthday party," Byakuya said, "now if there is nothing else..."

"Ah, I'll take my leave now, taichō," Renji quickly said before he had to be told to leave. "Sorry to bother you."

With that, Renji bowed at Byakuya and left the captain's office.

* * *

><p>Byakuya didn't have any expectations whether Ichigo would come to Renji's birthday party or not, and even if he should have such expectations, he had no reason to believe that Ichigo would drop by to greet him before he headed to the party, much less afterward. The only reason he had yet to retire to his respective room in spite of the fact that it had already been late at night was that he wanted to make sure that Rukia returned home safely after the party. Therefore, the captain was quite surprised to see that instead of Renji or some other Shinigami that joined the party, it was Ichigo who actually accompanied Rukia back home to the Kuchiki Mansion.<p>

"Ah, nii-sama! I thought you would have already been in bed by now," Rukia remarked, surprised that her brother was standing in the garden not so far from the front gate even though he had already changed into his nightwear.

"I planned to, but it seemed I have lost track of time," Byakuya replied. "How was the party?"

"It was fun until everyone got so drunk at the end and started to make a lot of fuss. It's a good thing Ichigo also joined the party or I would have to spend more time sending each of those drunkards home by myself."

Byakuya raised an eyebrow.

"I see," he said. "In that case, you must be tired, so don't mind me and just go to bed."

"I will. Good night, nii-sama," Rukia replied. She then turned to Ichigo and remarked, "Thanks for seeing me home, Ichigo. Good night."

Ichigo responded with a nod. "Yeah, good night, Rukia."

Hearing Ichigo's farewell, Rukia turned to give her brother a bow and then waved at Ichigo before she went inside the house to get her rest. After Rukia was gone, Byakuya turned and looked at Ichigo, who had yet to excuse himself and headed for the Senkaimon.

"Hi, Byakuya."

Byakuya nodded slightly as greeting. "Ichigo."

"I know it's really late and you're probably planning to go to bed right after you see that Rukia is home safe, but can I talk to you for a moment?"

Byakuya furrowed his brows. He couldn't tell what was so important that Ichigo had to speak to him then, especially when Ichigo had waited until after Renji's birthday party to say it even though he could have dropped by before he went to said party.

"Of course," Byakuya replied, "but I must ask what is so important that cannot wait until the next time we meet?"

Ichigo sighed softly and looked down to the ground for a moment. His trademark scowl was deepened as the Substitute Shinigami searched for words.

"Well, for you, it's probably not all that important," Ichigo said. "It's just that I don't know when I'll get to see you next time."

"Is that not how it usually goes?" Lord Kuchiki wondered.

"Yeah, but going to Renji's birthday party tonight kinda reminds me of my mortality," Ichigo replied, and before Byakuya had to ask for further explanation, he added: "Of course, Rukia did mention it once that she was at least ten times older than I was, but I never really put any real thoughts into it until tonight."

"What made you think about it now?"

Ichigo shrugged.

"Well, everyone was teasing me how young I was compare to them at first. Then we talked about how people in Soul Society grew old at a much slower pace than humans did – like how you didn't look like you aged a day since the first time we met. At this rate, in less than a decade, I'd probably look older than many people I know here, including you."

Byakuya tilted his head and looked at Ichigo from head to toe before he allowed a slight smile on his lips.

"I would admit it would be interesting to see how well you would age."

"It's not even funny, Byakuya," Ichigo said, deepening his scowl. "Do you even reckon how weird it would be if one day I came here being old and gray while all of you remained pretty much the same?"

Byakuya thought about it for a moment before he allowed himself a soft chuckle.

"It would be stranger if you became bald," Byakuya pointed.

The teen growled at the noble before he opened his mouth probably to say something spiteful. However, he didn't have the chance to say those words as Byakuya cut him off first.

"But even if you should grow older, you'd still be the same on the inside, wouldn't you?" the noble stated, "and in the end, isn't that what really counts?"

Ichigo narrowed his eyes slightly before he shook his head.

"I'd like to think that I'd at least be calmer and wiser."

"Well, those are not bad qualities to possess."

Again, Ichigo sighed.

"What would you think of me then? You know, when I become old, wrinkled and gray or bald or whatever?"

Byakuya took a moment to study Ichigo. He could see insecurities in the young man's brown eyes, and he knew that even though Ichigo didn't speak so seriously about it, the subject had deeply concerned him.

"I would certainly miss the orange hue of your hair," said the noble, earning himself yet another earnest glare from the younger man. "However, your appearance is not what draws me to you. As long as you remained who you are now on the inside, it wouldn't matter to me how much you may change on the outside."

Ichigo's expression was softened when he heard the reply and there was even a flash of relief behind his chocolate eyes.

"Can I hold you to it?"

Byakuya responded with a slight nod of his head.

"Of course," he said solemnly.

"Then I'll definitely do that," Ichigo replied with a small smile.

Again, Byakuya nodded as a response.

"I'm sure you will," he said. "Now if that's all you're worried about, you should head back to the World of the Living before it gets any later. You wouldn't want to worry your father."

Ichigo grimaced when his father was mentioned.

"I don't think he's as worried as he's looking for a chance to lecture me about something I do," Ichigo pointed, "but yeah, I should go. After all, I've already interrupted enough of your sleep time as it is. So, I'll see you again later."

"Good night, Ichigo."

"Yeah. Good night, Byakuya," Ichigo replied. "Have a sweet dream. And don't forget to dream about me a little, too."

With that, Ichigo waved at Byakuya and disappeared with the help of his shunpo just before Byakuya could make any comment on his cheekiness.

Seeing that the boy had gone, Byakuya shook his head slightly before he stared into the darkness of the night. Although nothing had changed about him having everything that he needed but nothing that he wanted, at least with Ichigo coming around, his life would not be spent going through the motions again anytime soon.


	14. Doubt, Mask and Parting

A/N: I have a feeling that this series should be renamed to "The Author Takes Time", as the frequency of my update has dramatically dropped from biweekly to bimonthly. (Well, at least, it only takes a month for this chapter, if that's even an excuse.) In any case, thank you for all thoughts and supports so far, though I can't promise to update any faster even if I want to. Still I hope you'd enjoy this chapter more than you did the last. Till next time.

* * *

><p><em>14: Doubt, Mask and Parting<em>

The weather was getting chillier as autumn had almost ended and winter was approaching. Captain Kuchiki did not waste any time to admire the picturesque scenery, as he hastily flash-stepped all the way to the First Division.

Just a few minutes earlier, he was still up on a mountain in East Rukongai with two squads from his division, having a training exercise which should last for two more days. However, the Captain Commander had sent a Hell's Butterfly to summon him to the First Division, which only roused Byakuya's curiosity as to what kind of mission he was urgently summoned back to do when any other captain should be equally qualified for the task, if not more.

Kyōraku had to summon him for a specific reason, which he believed he would find out as soon as he reached to the First Division. After all, despite his flashy appearance, Kyōraku was one of the most respectable captains in the Gotei 13, and he always made sensible calls, except when he was drunk – which he had rarely been since he succeeded the position of the Captain Commander from the late Yamamoto "Genryūsai" Shigekuni – so he wouldn't have summoned Byakuya when he could have easily assigned other captains for the task. Therefore, instead of wasting his time to question the logic of the order, Byakuya simply put Renji in charge of the training exercise and then went back to the First Division as quickly as he could.

Once he entered the ground of the First Division, Captain Kuchiki was led straight to the Captain Commander's office where Kyōraku had already been expecting him.

"Thank you for showing up so quickly, Byakuya-kun," he said. "I'm sorry for summoning you here when you're still in the middle of training exercise with your division."

"You can spare the formality, senpai. What is the emergency?"

"We have a Hollow situation in Karakura Town," Kyōraku stated. "Urahara Kisuke has contacted me for the Gotei 13's assistance. He and I agreed that you have the best chance at dispatching this Hollow. Of course, you can use any methods that you see fits."

Byakuya nodded.

"Kisuke-kun will fill you in with the rest of the details when you get there. All you need to know now is that you'll be heading to the World of the Living without the limiter just in case."

Byakuya briefly wondered how strong the Hollow had to be if a captain was to be sent to the World of the Living without the limiter and if it was a type of Hollow whose ability was weak against a certain type of zanpakutō, as that was the only sensible explanation for him to be called back. Still, since it was an emergency mission, he decided not to ask.

"I'll head straight there, then."

With that, he bowed at Kyōraku before he left for the mission. He would just find out when he was there.

* * *

><p>It wasn't as if he had expected to be greeted with total chaos, but for a town where there was supposed to be a Hollow situation that was bad enough to request for an assistance from a Gotei 13 captain and for said captain to come to the World of the Living without the limiter; Karakura Town appeared to be surprisingly quiet and peaceful when Byakuya arrived.<p>

Of course, it was possible that Urahara Kisuke and his team had already been able to dispatch the Hollow during the time that it took to summon Byakuya back to Seireitei and then send him there. However, since he had a mission, he still needed to make sure that the Hollow that he was sent to dispatch had already been taken care of before he could return to Soul Society and reported back to the Captain Commander.

Thanks to whoever was responsible for setting the Senkaimon to open right in front of Urahara Shop, Byakuya was saved from the hassle of having to travel there. To his surprise, there seemed to be some kind of force field set around the candy shop. However, before he had the time to put any thoughts into it, the shop owner had come out to greet him.

"Ah, Kuchiki-san, you've finally arrived! Please come in."

While Urahara didn't sound as if they were in any dire situation, Byakuya could still see a troubled look on the man's face.

"I was told there was a Hollow that required my assistance in dispatching; however, I cannot sense anything strange in the atmosphere," Byakuya said, cutting to the point.

"Well, you wouldn't," Urahara said.

"So you have already taken care of that Hollow?"

"Not exactly," the shop owner replied. "Follow me in, Kuchiki-san. You'll understand once you get inside."

Once again, Byakuya's curiosity was piqued, but at the same time, he was also annoyed by the fact that everyone didn't seem to have any intention to tell him anything at all even though they claimed to need his help in one way or another. Still, the captain kept his expression neutral as he followed Urahara into the shabby-looking shop and then down a hatchway to a large underground area which was, once again, protected by a thick spiritual barrier which was maintained by none other than the former Captain of the Kidō Corp, Tsukabishi Tessai.

There was something very odd about the whole setting, but Byakuya couldn't quite put a name on it until after Tessai had opened the barrier to allow both Byakuya and Urahara to walk in.

He could feel a Hollow presence once he walked inside the barrier, and although the spiritual pressure that he felt didn't seem to be so powerful that it should require that much of barrier, it was still familiar. It was so very familiar that Byakuya's heart sank even before he was led to the area where a certain Hollow that he never expected to see again was bound to the ground by what appeared to be Bakudō 99, Kin.

The Hollow could have passed as Ichigo, for there was no trace of a Hollow mask on the Hollow's face. However, no matter how much he looked like Ichigo, the yellow iris and the black sclera of his eyes and the twisted aura of his spiritual presence still gave his identity away. Therefore, Byakuya didn't need Urahara to tell him that the person who was in charge of the soul at that moment was not Ichigo but the Hollow within the boy.

"What happened?" Byakuya asked quietly.

"Well, the shortest explanation is Kurosaki-san died, and he took it quite badly," Urahara explained.

Byakuya closed his eyes and drew a sharp breath. He could easily understand why Ichigo would not be able to take the news that he would allow his emotions to overwhelm him to the point that the Hollow reappeared because Byakuya also felt that Ichigo's death came too sudden that he couldn't quite decide how to take the news himself.

"How?"

"How did we die?" the question came from the Hollow who looked at Byakuya with his eyes narrowed. "You really can't guess? I expect a little better from you, _joō_."

Byakuya narrowed his eyes when he noticed that the Hollow had dubbed him as "queen". However, instead of answering back to the Hollow, the Shinigami simply ignored him and turned to Urahara for his answer.

"You know that a strong spiritual energy often has negative impacts on people who are exposed to it such as weakening or killing them, right?" Urahara begin, and when he saw an absent nod from Byakuya, he continued, "Kurosaki-san's power has grown at an exponential rate since, let's say, we returned that power to him. I guess it now reaches the point where his physical body can no longer withstand the amount of power that it has to contain, so basically it gives out – you know, like a light bulb that is burned out after having been exposed to too high voltage of electricity for too long. Now his spirit can't return to his physical body without burning it out again."

Again, Byakuya closed his eyes and sighed. While he couldn't honestly say how he actually felt to learn about it since the news had yet to sink into him for the most part, it was still very depressing to learn that Ichigo was killed by his own power.

"Just like that?"

Urahara nodded in confirmation.

"Yes, Kuchiki-san, just like that. A human body isn't built to withstand spiritual power, after all, even for someone who's a half Shinigami like him."

"I see," Byakuya said softly.

If the news had been a shock to him and had him feeling numbed for that long, Byakuya couldn't begin to imagine what it would be like for Ichigo, especially with that certain cause of death.

"Very anticlimactic, don't you agree?" the Hollow observed. "To be killed by our own power. And I was thinking with his personality, maybe he'd die a little more heroic death, like being hit by a truck while helping an old lady cross a street or something."

Byakuya furrowed his brows slightly as he wasn't too sure about the Hollow's concept of heroic acts; however, he once again ignored the Hollow's presence and spoke to Urahara:

"Do you any idea how to turn him back to his normal self?"

Urahara nodded. "Well, that's the reason why we sent for you, Kuchiki-san."

"I'm listening."

The shop owner took a deep breath before he explained:

"I suspect that the reason the Hollow managed control of him is because Kurosaki-san had fallen in the depths of despair after he died. So, if he were to be given some solace-"

Byakuya closed his eyes for a moment. However, he resumed a neutral expression when he opened his slate eyes again and remarked, "If you cannot tell, I am not good at consoling people."

Urahara laughed humorlessly.

"I figure that much, Kuchiki-san. However, the Hollow has refused to speak to anyone but you, so you are our best bet. Unless, of course, we are to dispatch him here and now."

"Hey, you're not supposed to talk about murdering someone when you're right in front of them, you know?" the Hollow protested. "It's bloody rude."

For a brief moment, Byakuya looked at the Hollow who was bound on the ground. He then closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose softly.

"If that's the case, you can leave us here then, Urahara Kisuke," Byakuya said. It was probably a foolish choice; however, he had no other option, as he couldn't just kill the Hollow and hope for the best that the act would merely purify Ichigo's hybrid soul and send him to Soul Society as a normal Plus rather than kill him permanently. "And you might as well try to find other means to deal with him in case I fail."

Urahara simply nodded before he quietly left the underground training area, and Byakuya appreciated the fact that the man had enough courtesy not to pretend to try to convince him to change his mind.

Once Byakuya was alone with the Hollow in the vast basement of the candy shop, Byakuya finally turned his attention to the Hollow.

"Now that he's left us, you can drop the pretense and get out of those restraints," Byakuya said blandly. "We both know you can break free whenever you want."

The Hollow shrugged before he began to struggle against the bondage and after a moment, the Hollow broke free from the binding spell that had been put on him. He then got to his feet before he took his time to stretch his arms and legs.

"Can't really fool you, eh?" the Hollow asked while he rolled his shoulders to get rid of the numbness he felt from having been tied up for a long period.

"I might have believed you if you were to fake a struggle or tried to look a little more concerned that you were captured and could be killed," Byakuya remarked. "If anything, I suspect you wouldn't have been captured at all if you had not allowed yourself to be."

The Hollow laughed.

"Looks like nothing ever slips by you, eh?" he commented, "Though that makes me kinda wonder why you agreed to talk to me knowing all this. Aren't you afraid of me at all?"

Byakuya eyed the Hollow coldly.

"I'm not easily scared," Captain Kuchiki stated, "Besides, I was hoping that you would try to attack me."

The Hollow raised an eyebrow. "Oh? I have no idea you are masochistic. What an interesting info!"

"I am not," Byakuya denied. "It is simply that right now I cannot find other means to bring Ichigo back to the surface aside from battling you and hoping for the best that he would come out before either one of us is killed."

The Hollow tilted his head and raised an eyebrow.

"You know there's a huge chance that you'll end up as the one who gets killed, right?"

To that question, Byakuya gave the Hollow a cold nod.

"I'll take that chance."

The Hollow looked at the Shinigami for a moment.

"As expected, you're still cool, calm and collected even when we're discussing the possibility of your death," the Hollow remarked. "I guess that is one thing the King and I both love and hate about you."

"Should I take that as a compliment?" the captain asked blandly.

The Hollow shrugged but didn't reply to the question.

"Take it however you want. But in any case, I didn't go through all the troubles to get you here just so that I could have a rematch with you," the Hollow stated. "It would be fun, of course, but if the King would resurface because I attack someone he loves, it would be more effective for me to go after his sisters. I mean, what do you reckon is his lingering attachment here in this world? But if I did that, he would probably alienate me more and we might never get to see him again."

"You spoke as if you wish for him to be back in control," Byakuya observed.

"That's because I do," the Hollow claimed. "Let's be honest here, joō, I never asked to be out here. Every time I came out, it was because if I didn't, he would just be killed by his enemies. Now I'm probably out here because he was depressed by his fate and then blamed everything on Zangetsu and me, and thus lost his control over me as a result."

Byakuya studied the Hollow's for a long moment, and once he was certain that it wasn't some kind of trickery from the Hollow, he nodded.

"So, what is my part in this?"

The Hollow shrugged.

"I was just thinking that maybe seeing you would remind him that his death isn't the end of the world, and Soul Society isn't such a bad place to be?"

Byakuya said nothing as he closed his eyes and sighed, and because of those actions, the Hollow narrowed his eyes and glared at him.

"Or has it all been a lie? When you said you only turned the King down because he was human? Did you say so just to buy yourself some time, hoping that after a while, the King's feeling for you would fade so you wouldn't have to reject him yourself? Is this why you look so damn troubled? Because unlike how you pictured it, the King dies very young and his feeling hasn't even begun to fade?" the Hollow pressed. "Have you ever had even a slightest feeling for the King at all, Kuchiki Byakuya?"

Again, Byakuya sighed. However, this time he opened his eyes and turned to fully face the Hollow.

"So you've always doubted me."

The Hollow rolled his eyes. "Have you ever given me any reason not to?"

"I suppose not," Byakuya admitted, "which means, Ichigo also doubts me to a certain degree."

"So?"

"So even if I were to get down on my knees and say that I love Ichigo now, neither you nor Ichigo would truly believe me," Byakuya replied.

"It'd still be a good start," the Hollow noted.

"In any other circumstances, perhaps," Byakuya remarked noncommittally, "however, now you'd just think I said those words to manipulate you both into coming with me peacefully to Soul Society."

The Hollow sighed. "Yeah, you're probably right, but right now maybe we're willing to be manipulated."

Byakuya stared deep into the Hollow's eyes as if to try to find out whether the Hollow actually meant those words, and as he saw that the Hollow probably did, he reached his hand out to touch the Hollow's shoulder.

"Don't ever sell yourself so short," said the Shinigami. "You deserve much better than that."

Just when Byakuya let go of the Hollow's shoulder and was about to pull his hand back, his wrist was seized.

"And what exactly do we deserve, huh? Some meaningless hints and empty promises?" the Hollow asked with a stern look. "You can be honest with me. I can take your answer. What exactly do you feel about the King?"

Byakuya wasn't sure if it was a Hollow's instinct to try to leave its mark on everything it had touched or the Hollow really didn't know his own strength when he squeezed on Byakuya's wrist tightly as if to prompt for an answer.

"All you need to know is that I'm not playing him," Byakuya said calmly, placing his free hand above the Hollow's in a wordless request for the Hollow to release his wrist. "As for what my feeling for him is, I will only answer that to Ichigo himself."

"Fair enough," the Hollow said as he released Byakuya's wrist.

Once he was free, the Shinigami turned and made his way toward a large rock in the middle of the underground chamber before he sat down on that rock. The Hollow soon followed him there, but unlike Ichigo who was usually more reserved and often asked before he would sit down next to Byakuya, the Hollow simply sat down right next to Byakuya, invading the Shinigami's personal space.

"So what now?" the Hollow asked, tilting his head upward to look at the fake sky of the underground chamber. "Are we just going to sit here like this until the King decides to make his return? It could take a long time for him to get over his depression, you know?"

"Then I suppose this is my turn to wait for him," said the noble.

The Hollow chuckled. "Seems the timing is never right for you and the King, eh?"

Byakuya sighed softly but he didn't say anything else in response.

They simply sat there in silence, as Byakuya considered all possibilities of dealing with the Hollow whereas the Hollow kept switching his attention to and fro between the fake blue sky and the Shinigami's troubled expression.

Seeing how the noble didn't seem to have put up his guard even though he was sitting right next to one of the strongest Hollows in history, the Hollow couldn't help wondering just how deep the trust ran between the Shinigami and his King, especially when Kuchiki Byakuya wasn't a gullible person who would place his trust in just about everybody. He was a veteran Shinigami who knew better than to lower his guard around any Hollows, much less the one that was generally perceived to be dangerous. But no matter how deep such trust ran, the Hollow was still touched by the fact that the trust had been extended to him because he was used to being distrust and feared by most beings he had encountered, including Ichigo himself.

"I seriously wanna kiss you right now," the Hollow mused.

Byakuya expected the Hollow to wear the smug grin he always wore when he was trying to get on someone's nerve; however, he was somewhat surprised when he glanced sideways to the Hollow and saw that such a smile wasn't there. In fact, the Hollow was looking at him with an uncharacteristically soft gaze.

Before Byakuya could respond to the comment, the Hollow narrowed his eyes and growled.

"Of all the time you could have come back, you've gotta butt in now?" he muttered. "Protective much, aren't we, ō?"

Byakuya furrowed his brows as he watched the changes in the Hollow's expression during the time he was basically talking to himself.

"Che! Whatever," the Hollow said, rolling his eyes. He then turned to Byakuya and remarked, "Oh, well, it looks like this is a goodbye for us for now, joō, and just when we're getting to a good part, too."

Byakuya raised an eyebrow and then watched as the black in Ichigo's sclera began to fade to white, and his irises gradually umbered. The dark, heavy atmosphere at seemed to have disappeared along with the Hollow's presence, and because of that, Byakuya was certain that Ichigo was back in control.

* * *

><p>Ichigo blinked twice to regain his focus then he took a quick look at Byakuya. Seeing the nobleman safe and sound, Ichigo let out a deep sigh. His shoulder sagged and his head was hung as he whispered, "I'm sorry, Byakuya. Did he do anything to you?"<p>

"No," Byakuya replied, but he could tell that his answer didn't relief Ichigo in the slightest as the young man's still clenched his hands together so tightly that his knuckles were almost white. "But more importantly, how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," Ichigo replied softly, turning slightly to give Byakuya a smile as if to prove his words.

However, the smile was very strain and the sadness was very evident behind Ichigo's brown eyes that Byakuya had to be blind if he really were to believe that the young man who was sitting beside him was truly fine.

At a time like that, Byakuya wished he were someone with a warmer, gentler personality because if he were that kind of person, he would at least be able to say something sentimental in order to console Ichigo and make the young man feel better if only for a short moment. However, being a type of person that he was, all Byakuya could offer was a gentle touch on Ichigo's sagged shoulder.

"There's no need to force yourself to smile and say that you are fine when you're not," the Shinigami remarked softly, feeling Ichigo's muscle relaxed under his touch. "You don't need to pretend with me, Ichigo."

Ichigo kept his eyes on the ground, and while he appeared somewhat unsure whether he should speak his mind, the warmth that the touch offered made Ichigo feel like it would be okay to confide in Byakuya.

"I don't know how I should feel now, Byakuya," he confessed. "I used to think that whenever my time comes, I'd be able to accept it just fine. I mean, it's not like I don't know what awaits me in the afterlife or that I'd be left alone in Soul Society, but when the time really comes—"

"You felt it was too early and you wanted more time to live," Byakuya finished the sentence for the younger man.

Ichigo nodded and chuckled humorlessly.

"It's weird, right?"

Byakuya shook his head although he knew Ichigo wouldn't be able to see it when he kept his head down.

"If it was that easy to leave everything and everyone you love behind, no souls would ever turn into Hollows," said the Shinigami. "And considering your involvement with Soul Society is what gets you into this situation, I can't blame you if you feel that Soul Society is the last place you want to be right now."

Ichigo closed his eyes.

"But I can't stay here now, can I?"

"Not if you don't want your spiritual power to affect other people in this town in one way or another."

Ichigo nodded, understanding Byakuya's point.

"I figured as much," he said softly. "So what's gonna happen me? Are you gonna give me the konsō and then send me off to whichever part of Rukongai that my soul is assigned to?"

"That is the case for a Plus," Byakuya replied, "but you haven't been a Plus since you received your Shinigami power, so we will just crossover through the Senkaimon like all other times you visited Soul Society, except you will become Soul Society's resident and won't be allowed to return to the World of the Living by whims."

Ichigo acknowledged the information with a nod.

"In that case, can I ask you a favor, Byakuya?"

"Anything."

"Can you take me to somewhere in Rukongai where nobody would know who I am?"

Byakuya blinked once before he replied, "Of course, but at a time like this, would you not feel better to be in the company of the people you know than to face it all on your own?"

Ichigo shrugged.

"Maybe," said the teen, "but at this state of mind, I don't think I'd be able to handle it if anyone were to show any sign that they feel sorry for my situation or worse, that they're happy to see that I've finally become a permanent resident in Soul Society. I'd probably snap and say or do something that I'd regret. So I'd rather not see them until I sort my feelings out and can truly tell them that I'm fine and that I'm happy to see them, too."

Also being a kind of person who kept his deepest thoughts and troubles to himself rather than confiding in someone, Byakuya could tell where Ichigo was coming from. Since it would be very hypocritical of him to advise Ichigo otherwise, the captain nodded.

"If that's your decision, I'll support it," Byakuya replied. "At any rate, shall we head to Soul Society?"

Not only did he ask, Byakuya also stood up and proffered his hand out for Ichigo to take. However, instead of taking the hand, Ichigo stood up and pulled Byakuya into a brief, tight embrace.

"Thank you, Byakuya," he said just before he let go and took a step back.

Byakuya nodded. "Let's go."

* * *

><p>Although Ichigo said he wouldn't mind being dropped off at any random district of Rukongai, Byakuya wouldn't be able to feel at ease to leave the young man on his own in a new environment. Thus, Byakuya arranged for Ichigo to stay in the care of Byakuya's old nanny, Hanae, who had been living in the first district of South Rukongai since her retirement, so that he would have nothing to worry about when he left to resume his Shinigami duty.<p>

Byakuya then returned to Seireitei to make a report the result of his mission to the Captain Commander, who - much to Byakuya's surprise - didn't want to hear any details on how the Hollow was dealt with even though it was obvious to Byakuya then that Kyōraku knew that the Hollow was actually Ichigo. After that, Byakuya spent the next two days up in Rukongai's mountain to oversee the rest of the Sixth Division's training exercise.

Although Byakuya had tried to keep his focus during the two days of the exercise, it seemed he didn't do the best job at masking his worries, since Renji noticed it and even pointed it out to him after the training exercise was complete.

He managed to convince the lieutenant that he was merely exhausted from the mission he had been summoned to do, which was the reason why after they returned to the headquarters of their division and then dismissed their subordinates, Renji insisted that Byakuya should head right back to the Kuchiki Mansion and that they could review the result of the training exercise in the next day.

Not seeing the use of arguing with his own lieutenant on the subject other than to get himself yet another headache, Byakuya took Renji's advice and left the Sixth Division. At first, he thought about going out to Rukongai to check on Ichigo, but then he decided against the idea, believing that he should give Ichigo some space for the time being.

When he reached to the main house of the Kuchiki Mansion, the butler approached to him with a bow.

"Welcome home, Byakuya-sama. Hanae-dono is here to see you. She has been waiting in the living room."

Byakuya acknowledged the report with a nod. He then furrowed his eyebrows as he reckoned that the reason his old nanny came into town to see him had to have something to do with Ichigo. He took a deep breath and then made his way to the living room.

"Good afternoon, Hanae," Byakuya said as soon as he entered the room where the old woman was sitting. "What makes you come all the way here? I thought I have told you I would drop by again soon."

"You have, waka-sama, but I thought you would want to know that Kurosaki-dono has left."

Byakuya closed his eyes briefly before he opened them again and asked, "Has he?"

The old lady nodded.

"He left a note for you," the old woman said before she pulled a sealed envelope out of the fold of her kimono and then presented it to the man she regarded as her young master.

Byakuya blinked once before he reached out to accept the envelope which was addressed to "Kuchiki Byakuya-sama." However, instead of opening the envelope to see the note right away, the captain simply trace his finger along the edge of the envelope.

"Thank you for bringing it all the way here, Hanae."

Taking the hint that her young master probably didn't want anyone around when he looked at the note, the old lady decided to give him a bow.

"Since my business here is done, I shall take my leave now, waka-sama," she said. "There is no need to show me the way out."

Byakuya nodded. "Have a safe trip back."

Once the old nanny had left, Byakuya stared at the envelope for another long moment before he took a deep breath and opened it before he pulled out a letter which read:

_Dear Byakuya,_

_Thank you for everything you've done for me and sorry for leaving without saying goodbye to you in person, but if I saw your face, I might not be able to leave._

_Right now my mind is still in total chaos. I need some time and space away from all Shinigami business so that I can sort my feelings and figure out what I really want to do now that I am here in Soul Society, but I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to do that if I were to stay so close to Seireitei and could easily be found._

_I don't know how long it would take me to figure everything out or when and if I would ever return, so I'm not asking you to wait for me. But I do hope that when that day actually comes when I drop by at your place again, you will still welcome me to your house and offer me tea and some of those weird-looking cookies, and we will still be able to sit down and have some random conversations like we used to._

_Until then, take care of yourself and don't forget me too soon._

_Yours always,  
>Ichigo<em>

Byakuya refolded the letter and put it back into the envelope after he finished reading Ichigo's message. Then he closed his eyes and sighed. It looked like their timing was still not right as always. However, that time, it seemed their roles had switched and Ichigo would be the one to decide when the right time would be, if there was such a time at all.

Placing the envelope in the fold of his kimono, Byakuya got to his feet and headed out of the living room. Once again, they did not give nor ask one another for a solid promise, and only time could tell when and if Ichigo would ever return and how they were going to proceed from then onward.

"I'll wait until that time comes then."


	15. Stranded and Estranged

A/N: I'm not dead yet, just zombified, which may or may not reflect in the chapter. This installment is divided into two parts, since I don't have the ability to combine everything I want to write into one chapter without ruining the pace of the story and if I choose to keep it that way, chances are this won't be posted until May, so there you have it. Please feel free to comment and criticize. I can't say when the second part will be up, since it's still being written and rewritten, but I'll try to post it as soon as I can.

* * *

><p><em>15: Stranded and Estranged (Part 1)<em>

Cherry blossoms in the garden of the Kuchiki Mansion were already in full bloom, signifying that yet another winter had passed and spring had arrived to Soul Society. Yet despite the beauty of the scene just outside of his study, Byakuya's slate eyes were kept on an empty window frame as if he was trying to see something that was not there.

The wind chime that used to be hung there was broken two summers ago during one strong summer storm. Although Byakuya wouldn't admit it aloud, he had grown quite attached to the chime, and he might have also been obvious about it, since his butler took notice about how he often looked at the empty window frame and even offered to go out and get him a new chime. However, Byakuya had refused the offer. Because something and someone simply could not be replaced.

Five winters had passed since the last time he saw and heard from the orange-haired Substitute Shinigami who had given the wind chime to him as a gift. There were times, just like in that moment, that he would miss that man's company. However, no matter how many times he thought of Ichigo and wondered where he was or what he had been doing, not once had Byakuya tried to look for the man.

It appeared no one truly understood why he had taken that position. Even Rukia, who had always supported every choice he made and never criticized even when his choice was to allow her to be executed, had clearly been upset with that standpoint that he had taken ever since the Captain Commander Kyōraku Shunsui announced Ichigo's death in the biweekly meeting between captains and lieutenants.

Byakuya recalled that the meeting was held eight days after Ichigo's soul had crossed over to Soul Society. It was announced in a casual tone at the start of the meeting as if it was some insignificant news, which, in a way, it was, for many humans died and were sent to Soul Society each day, so the Gotei 13 would not have enough time to do anything if they were to be concerned with that kind of news. However, in a way it was not insignificant, as Ichigo was not just any soul. He had been working for them as a Substitute Shinigami, and his power had been the key to the victory of the Gotei 13 in its latest two wars...

"_...before we proceed with today's agenda, I think you all should know that Ichigo-kun has died. His soul is sent to Soul Society although the exact whereabouts of his soul is unknown."_

_Since Byakuya had played a part in bringing Ichigo's soul to Soul Society and was more or less responsible for his disappearance, he couldn't fake a surprise. He just was not that good an actor. Other captains and lieutenants, however, did not have the same privilege and were genuinely shocked by the news._

_Several gasps could be heard before the room was filled with temporary silence as everyone was still too shocked beyond words. It took all of them a moment to regain their composure, and Byakuya wasn't sure if he should give Renji a credit for being the first to be able to speak or not, as the red-haired lieutenant simply blurted out:_

'_What do you mean his location is unknown? He can't disappear just like that.'_

_Byakuya could hear some other meeting attendees mumbling something in agreement with what Renji had said. However, such reaction seemed to be what Kyōraku had expected, since the Captain Commander wasn't fazed by the question at all._

'_Well, that's how it usually goes when someone is given a konsō, Renji-kun,' said Kyōraku. 'We all know that the Shinigami who performs a konsō usually has no idea where the soul would actually go afterward.'_

'_We've gotta look for him, then. I mean, we can't just allow Ichigo to be lost somewhere in Rukongai after everything,' Renji commented, obviously concerned for the man who was arguably one of his best friends._

_In any other circumstances, Byakuya would have backed Renji's opinion, if not for his personal relationship with Ichigo then for the fact that Ichigo's death was a direct result of his involvement with Soul Society and, hence, it would be heartless of the Gotei 13 to simply stand by and let Ichigo face his afterlife on his own. However, since he knew it was Ichigo's own decision to disappear so that he could figure out what he wanted to do with his afterlife, Byakuya believed that the very least he could do was to try to grant Ichigo's wish, even if it meant that he might be misunderstood and once again be perceived as a cold, heartless man._

'_This is not the first time for him in Soul Society,' Byakuya pointed blandly before Kyōraku could reply to Renji's question. 'Granted the circumstance now may differ from his previous visits, but he certainly knows how to get in touch with us if he so wishes. Therefore, I see no reason for us to waste our time and resources to search for him.'_

_He could see many disapproving looks from his colleagues, and even his adopted sister who usually took his side stared at him with a mix of disbelief and disappointment. Byakuya couldn't blame her if she should feel that he had betrayed Ichigo by saying the words he had said. After all, Rukia was close enough to both him and Ichigo to know that their relationship had improved even though she might have no idea just how much; therefore, she had the right to expect to see a different reaction from him._

_It appeared Rukia wasn't the only one who felt something was off with his previous comment, since the captain of the Fifth Division, Hirako Shinji, raised an eyebrow and asked:_

'_Isn't that a bit cold, Byakuya? I thought you and Ichigo have already mended your fences, so shouldn't you at least be a little more concerned about his situation?'_

_Although Byakuya could have used that opportunity to explain himself, he decided it would be easier to be misunderstood. After all, he couldn't think of a way to explain how he came to know Ichigo's wish without telling them that he was chosen to pick up Ichigo from the World of the Living. However, if he were to explain to them, it would raise many more questions, and Byakuya doubted he could answer them all without having a full disclosure on his relationship with Ichigo. It wasn't a lie when he told Ichigo that the boy was not his secret, but that didn't mean that he was willing to broadcast about every single detail of their relationship to the rest of the world._

'_I merely stated what I believe to be the most rational response,' he claimed. 'If you disagree with me and want to search for him, I would not object to such a decision.'_

'_But you're not gonna participate in the search?' Captain Hirako pressed._

'_No.'_

_The answer came quick and without any sign hesitation, making Captain Hirako tilted his head and raise an eyebrow. 'No?'_

_A scoff came from the captain of the Eleventh Division, Zaraki Kenpachi._

'_You shouldn't be so surprised, Hirako,' he said. 'That prissy noble over there probably thinks it's too degrading to set foot in Rukongai even if it was to search for a friend.'_

_Byakuya shot a cold glare over to Zaraki Kenpachi before he remarked in an equally cold tone:_

'_You don't know anything about me, Zaraki Kenpachi, and you most definitely have no idea how I feel about this whole situation, so you don't have the right to judge me.'_

'_Oh?' Zaraki said, raising an eyebrow in a somewhat interested gesture. 'Enlighten me, then.'_

_Before Byakuya could answer, he was interrupted by Kyōraku himself._

'_Now, now, let's not fight,' the captain commander said in a tone that was usually used to stop children from fighting one another._

'_Has the Central 46 Chambers been informed of this?' Ukitake asked once the meeting room was back in order._

_Byakuya's eyes widened slightly when the Central 46 Chambers was mentioned. For Ichigo's sake, he hoped they would not be informed of the news, for he doubted Ichigo would be able to choose his own fate if that were to be the case. Ichigo might have fought two wars for Soul Society as a Substitute Shinigami, but as far as the Central 46 Chambers was concerned, he was still a loose cannon and a very powerful one at that. They would not let Ichigo live his life in peace even if Ichigo were to take an oath never to go against Soul Society in his life. They would do everything in their power to make sure Ichigo either be on their side or be eliminated from the equation entirely._

'_Hmm... I don't think this is a matter that we need to bother the Central 46 Chambers with,' Kyōraku replied thoughtfully._

_Byakuya closed his eyes and sighed in relief, although when he thought about it more carefully, he realized he shouldn't have been worried about it to begin with. After all, Kyōraku probably never considered reporting to the Central 46 Chambers to begin with or otherwise he wouldn't have been so discreet about it when he sent Byakuya to retrieve Ichigo's soul from Karakura Town._

'_So what do we do?' Hitsugaya asked._

'_Well, Kuchiki-taichō has a good point about Ichigo-kun and his knowledge of Soul Society, so it won't be necessary to set up any official search parties,' Kyōraku replied. 'However, if any of you want to go out to Rukongai and look for him, you can feel free to do so when you're off duty. And of course, if you do find him, please let him know he's welcome to join us in the Gotei 13 whenever he wants. Now, shall we move on to the real agenda…'_

The rest of the meeting had gone by rather quickly that day. Byakuya recalled how his sister and some other lieutenants lingered behind after the meeting was adjourned to discuss their plan to search for Ichigo. He remembered the way she looked at him as if to ask him to change his mind and join them in the search, and he could tell how upset she had been when he simply ignored the look and left the meeting room as if he couldn't be bothered by Ichigo's disappearance.

Even though it had been five years since that day, he could tell that Rukia was still upset with his decision although she had never voiced her thought aloud, and he couldn't blame her for feeling that way. For all she knew, Ichigo was the closest person Byakuya had to a friend. Therefore, he couldn't see how she would be able to understand why he simply stood by and left Ichigo to his own fate when Byakuya had more than enough resources to track down anyone he wanted in Soul Society.

Byakuya sighed softly and looked at the empty window frame again for another moment before he turned his attention back to his desk. He then picked up a calligraphy set that he had prepared earlier and headed out of the room.

It had been so uneventful in the Gotei 13 that sometimes Byakuya wondered if all troubles that had ever occurred in the past were results of the schemes that either the Quincy or Aizen Sōsuke had cooked up so there had not been any threats to Soul Society since they were dealt with. It wasn't that Byakuya did not enjoy the peace and hoped for something bad to happen, but he was used to a very busy lifestyle that all Shinigami had during the time Soul Society was still recovering from the war. He simply wanted to have something to do to keep himself busy so that he would not have time to think useless thoughts, which was probably one of the reasons why he agreed to be a special lecturer on Calligraphy in the Shinō Academy when the invitation came to him three years ago.

That day was the first day of the calligraphy's lecture in the new academic year, and Byakuya was expected to be there with the main lecturer to give his welcome to the students who had enrolled to the course. Since Calligraphy was an elective course, Byakuya was slightly curious to see how many students had registered themselves to the class in that academic year and how many of them were truly interested in the subject and how many were just there because they wanted the credit and thought they would easily be able to get a good grade from the course. Either way, he was going to find out soon enough since he was heading out of the Kuchiki Mansion to the Shinō Academy for that first lecture.

Just as Byakuya was about to reach to the main gate of the mansion, he could see that Rukia was also heading there from a different direction. She was carrying a sack which probably contained her clothes or some other necessary supplies on her left shoulder. Rukia halted for a second when she also spotted him, but then she took a deep breath before she approached to him and then bowed her head as greeting.

"Good morning, nii-sama," she greeted. "I didn't know you'd be home today."

"Actually, I'm about to be off to the Shinō Academy," he replied.

"Oh, now that you mention it, I remember the academic year start this week."

Byakuya nodded. "It does. What about you, Rukia? You don't look like you're heading to the Thirteenth Division."

Rukia hesitated for a second, and that one second was more than enough to confirm to Byakuya that wherever she planned to go and whatever she planned to do on that day had to have something to do with her and her friend's attempts to look for Ichigo or otherwise she wouldn't have hesitated to tell him. In fact, he could tell that she always avoided talking about the subject in order not to offend him, even though Byakuya had made it clear that he wouldn't stand in anyone's way if they were to try to look for Ichigo although he would not be a part of the attempt.

"Renji and I are going to Rukongai today," Rukia replied and then pursed her lips for a second as if she was contemplating whether she should give him more details. "I know you're probably not interested, nii-sama, but we've just received words about an orange-haired hero who showed up to dispatch Hollows that attacked the Seventieth District yesterday."

"In other words, you believe your search will be a success this time?" Byakuya asked.

"Yes, nii-sama, I really do believe that," Rukia replied, "which is why I thought I'd mention it to you so you wouldn't be too surprised if you should find Ichigo in Seireitei today."

Byakuya didn't want to spoil Rukia's confident by pointing out to her that if Ichigo had been successful in staying under the radar for five years, she would not be able to catch him even though it had only been one day after he reappeared into the surface. After all, Ichigo was a shunpo expert, so by the time they reached to where he had exposed himself, he could have already been miles away from there unless Ichigo voluntarily made his presence known in order to be found.

The thought made Byakuya close his eyes for a brief moment, as the possibility of seeing Ichigo again on that day struck him with several feelings. While he had often thought of Ichigo, he never actually imagined how he would feel should they see each other again after the years that had gone by.

Five years might not be considered a long time in Soul Society's standard, but it was still long enough for someone to have changed into a completely different person. Not much might have changed in Byakuya's side, but Ichigo could have changed from the way Byakuya remembered him, and whatever they might have shared in the past might have become nothing more to Ichigo than just a fading memory. And though it was one of the scenarios that he had predicted since a long time ago, it didn't mean that he would be ready for it yet.

"I won't be surprised to see him, Rukia. After all, I know he would return at some point. It is just a matter of time until he does," Byakuya commented, "but thank you for letting me know in advance."

Rukia took a long look at him before she took a deep breath as if to try to gather her courage and asked, "Do you want him to be found, nii-sama?"

"It doesn't really matter what I want, does it?" Byakuya returned. "What really matters is whether he wants to be found."

Rukia furrowed her brows. "What are you talking about, nii-sama? Why wouldn't Ichigo want to be found?"

"Perhaps you should ask him that when you find him," Byakuya suggested. "After all, I couldn't possibly know what's going on in his mind better than he does, could I?"

Rukia narrowed her eyes. If the look in those violet eyes told Byakuya anything, it would be that she began to suspect that he knew something more than he had let on.

"In any case, I should be going," Byakuya remarked, changing the subject. "It would be bad for me to be late for my own lecture. Good luck with your search."

And with that, Byakuya headed off to the direction of the Shinō Academy, leaving Rukia at the gate to try to figure out what he actually knew and what he did not.

* * *

><p>"The first class went quite smoothly, don't you agree, Kuchiki-taichō?"<p>

The permanent lecturer on Calligraphy commented soon after the class was dismissed and he and Byakuya had left the lecture room together. The lecturer appeared to be a middle-aged man with a medium build. However, the man was much older than he looked as he had been giving lectures on calligraphy in the Shinō Academy for almost as long as Byakuya remembered. In fact, he had also given Byakuya some pointers in calligraphy when Byakuya was still a hot-headed boy.

"Yes, sensei, it went well," Byakuya agreed.

"I cannot help noticing, however, that your brush strokes are not as fluid as usual today. It is as if there is some anxiety in your heart."

Byakuya looked down to the ground for a brief moment before he sighed softly.

"I suppose the brush strokes cannot lie," he said. "Yes, sensei, something is bothering me today."

"Do you want to talk about it?" the lecturer asked.

"I cannot see how talking about it would help, when the matter that has me concerned is beyond my control. Even if I should talk to anyone about it, in the end, all I could do would be keeping waiting."

"Talking about it to someone else may not solve your problem, Kuchiki-taichō, but it would still be better to share the load in your heart with someone than to bear it all by yourself," the old man noted. "Of course, you don't have to talk to me about it if you do not feel comfortable to, but perhaps you might want to consider discussing it with someone you chose to entrust your heart to."

Byakuya nodded as if he agreed with the older man's point.

"I know, sensei, but at this point, I'm more used to keeping things to myself than sharing it with anyone. Besides, the person I feel I could entrust with every content of my heart is no longer within my reach," he remarked. "I'll find my own way to deal with it, somehow. But thank you for your concerns."

The lecturer nodded as if he had anticipated that answer from Byakuya.

"Sometimes I don't know which one I prefer between the wild boy who always wears his heart on his sleeve or the reserved man who keeps everything bottled up inside his heart."

Byakuya snickered humorlessly.

"Sometimes I don't know which one I prefer either, sensei."

The old lecturer gave the younger man a kind smile. "In any case, I hope you will be able to restore peace to your heart very soon, Kuchiki-taichō."

Byakuya nodded as if to say thank you to the older man. "I hope so too, sensei."

The lecturer accepted Byakuya's words of gratitude with a nod, and after that they walked quietly together until they reached to the main hall where all corridors were connected.

"Well, I'll be going this way," the lecturer announced, motioning to the west hallway. "What about you, Kuchiki-taichō? Are you heading back to the Gotei 13?"

"Yes, sensei. I'll see you again in my next lecture."

"I'll see you then, Kuchiki-taichō."

Byakuya gave the older man a slight bow of his head as an expression of farewell. The lecturer returned the gesture in kind before he headed down the path where he had said he would be going. Seeing that, Byakuya turned around. However, instead of following the long wooden porch that would lead him out of the Shinō Academy, Byakuya decided to take a shortcut through the garden.

Just like at the Kuchiki Mansion, the garden in the Shinō Academy was also filled with the pale pink color of cherry blossoms that were in full bloom in early spring. He could see many students hanging about in the garden, either having a chat or merely viewing the flowers.

Since his intention was only to take the shortest route out of the Academy, he didn't plan to make any stop on his way for any reasons. However, as fate would have it, he came to a halt when he saw a pair of male and female students heading toward his general direction. Since they seemed so engaged in their conversation, Byakuya doubted they noticed him, which was probably a good thing because Byakuya was certain that he wouldn't be able to keep a normal expression should they notice him there at that time.

"...I still don't get why you don't like sakura viewing. I mean, they're beautiful and they would only bloom for a short period," the female student said to her companion as they both headed closer to where Byakuya stood with his eyes widened.

He recognized the woman as Fujiwara Saeko, the student who completed the Calligraphy course with the best score in the previous year. However, the person that really caught his eyes was not her but the man with long dark hair and brown eyes that had a hint of red within them.

"Let's just say something happened and I could never look at them in the same way ever since," the male student replied.

Although the hair color was not in the shade of orange and those eyes were not in the same umber shade that he was used to seeing and not to mention the man's spiritual presence was far less powerful and had a different feel to it from how Byakuya remembered, Byakuya was certain that the man who was walking in his general direction was definitely the same person with the man who had disappeared from his life since five years ago.

"Ichigo..."

Byakuya was certain that he didn't utter the name which he had not spoken once in the past five years any louder than a whisper. However, the pair was deemed to notice him regardless of whether they heard him speak or not because he was still standing there and more or less staring at them - or at least at one of them anyway.

"Ah, Kuchiki-sensei!" Fujiwara called his name in a way of greeting. "Good morning. You must be here to give a lecture."

"Yes. I just finished the lecture," he heard himself replying to her although his eyes were still on the man who was standing half a step behind his friend, staring back at Byakuya with a look of recognition. "I have not seen you in a while. How have you been?"

Although the question was supposed to be at Fujiwara, his eyes were still on her companion as if he wished to direct his question to the man.

"All is great, sensei! The lesson is a lot tougher this year, since we're in the fourth year now and everything is kinda in advance level," she replied. Then as if she noticed his eyes on her friends, she decided to introduce him although the introduction was not truly necessary. "Oh forgive my rudeness, sensei, I forgot to introduce my friend, Kurosaki."

Byakuya raised an eyebrow slightly at the name. If Ichigo had gone through the trouble to adopt a new appearance, he expected that Ichigo would change his name as well_. _However, he still kept his name - or at least his family name - since Fujiwara did not introduce Ichigo with his full name. However, what surprised Byakuya most was not what Ichigo might or might not have done about his appearance and his name, but the fact that Ichigo had learned how to control his spiritual power to the point that the amount of power Byakuya could feel from him was just the amount of power that he would expect to feel from any ordinary students of the Shinō Academy.

Seeing Ichigo that way explained to Byakuya why Ichigo's friends had never been able to locate Ichigo despite all the time and efforts they had spent searching for him. After all, the Shinō Academy would be the last place for anyone to look; and should they even try to look in the Shinō Academy, they would probably focus on students from the advance class, not some ordinary students who studied under a normal curriculum.

Since Ichigo didn't say any word to greet Byakuya right away, Fujiwara not-so-lightly nudged at his side. No matter how much Ichigo might have changed, the one thing that didn't change was the fact that his good friend was still a kind of bossy woman.

"Oi, Kurosaki, where are your manners? Hurry up and greet Kuchiki sensei. You know, he's not only a guest lecturer in calligraphy course..."

"But also the current head of one of Four Great Noble Houses and the captain of the Sixth Division of the Gotei 13, I know," Ichigo said, completing his friend's sentence.

Fujiwara raised an eyebrow.

"You know?" she asked, somewhat disbelieved. "That's a surprise. I thought you never paid any attention to the History of the Gotei 13 course, since you barely passed the test."

"As I told you before, Fujiwara, I didn't do well in that course because the answer they want isn't the same with what I remember."

"In other word, you didn't study hard enough for the test," she stated. Then she seemed to recall that Byakuya was still standing there watching them as they spoke to one another although the banter she had with her friend probably made her forget that Ichigo had yet to greet Byakuya either by saying a simple good morning or by giving him a bow like a student should to a lecturer. "Anyway, I'm sorry we ignored you for a moment there, sensei. That was rude of us."

"Do not worry about it," Byakuya replied. "I assume you two are going to your lecture, so do not let me stop you."

Fujiwara widened her eyes as if she just remembered that she had a lecture to attend.

"Ah! Yes, we are. Thank you for reminding me, sensei. We should go now, so please excuse us."

With that said, Fujiwara gave Byakuya a polite bow as a farewell. She was about to continue on her way when she realized that her friend was still standing on the same spot, staring at Byakuya with a look that was impossible to decipher. So she once again nudged her friend in a not-so-gentle manner.

"I'm glad to see that you are doing well," Byakuya said softly just before they parted. It appeared to be a proper parting word, since Fujiwara simply flashed him a smile without any suspicion, even though the sentence was meant for Ichigo.

Ichigo opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something; however, he swallowed his words and gave Byakuya a slight nod although Byakuya wasn't sure if the nod was meant to acknowledge his words or merely his own way of bidding farewell or both. Then Ichigo followed his friend before he needed to be nudged again.

After they left, Byakuya closed his eyes. Many feelings had hit him all at once, as he saw how much Ichigo seemed to have changed over the years they had been apart that Byakuya no longer knew where they stood in each other's life anymore. However, among those feelings, there was one feeling that he was certain of and that was that he was truly glad to see that Ichigo had been doing well.

Because no matter how many things might have changed, the one thing that would never change was the fact that he wanted Ichigo to find happiness... even if his happiness did not include him.


	16. Journey and Homecoming

A/N: Thank you for all comments and criticisms for the previous installment. I understand there are some issues that needed further explanations, so hopefully this chapter will make senses in itself without me having to pull the "everything is a part of Aizen's plan" excuse. But since I don't seem to make much sense lately, I'll just leave it up to you all to decide. Till next update.

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><p><em>16. Journey and Homecoming (Part 2)<em>

If he was ever asked whether being a full-fledged Shinigami was something that he had always dreamed of doing, his answer would definitely be no. However, he was sitting there on a wooden bench in the backyard of the Shinō Academy, staring at the Gotei 13's application form.

Time had gone by swiftly that before he knew it, he was already in the last semester of his sixth year in the Shinō Academy, and like most ordinary students who did not have any exceptional talents that would get them scouted to one of the Gotei 13's divisions or the Onmitsukidō or the Kidō Corps before they officially graduated, he had to decide where he would send his application forms and CV to.

After he had been staring at the application for a long time, he sighed and then scribbled down the kanji of his name down on the form. However, he stopped after he wrote down the name "Kurosaki" as if he couldn't decide whether he should continue filling the form.

Although his full name was Kurosaki Ichigo; in the past seven years, he had always introduced himself to everyone just as Kurosaki. Because it was rather common in Rukongai for someone not to know their own full name, no one had ever bothered to ask him to clarify whether the name was his given name or his family name. In fact, since his journey around Rukongai began, the only time he had ever told anyone his full name was at a monastery atop the mountain in the Eightieth District of South Rukongai.

It was by fate that he found his way to said monastery, since it was never a part of his plan to go to any monastery and study some of its teaching in a hope that he would be able to accept his untimely death and find peace within himself.

When he decided to take off into Rukongai on his own seven and a half years ago, he did so because he couldn't stay near to Seireitei when a part of him still blamed the Gotei 13 for his untimely death, for at that time, he was convinced that he would have still been alive had he never been introduced to the Shinigami's world or been given a Shinigami power.

Since he did not know where to go and he felt that trying to reach for someone he knew might have led to someone from the Gotei 13 finding him before he was ready to be found, he simply traveled due south. He had tried to be as discreet as possible and although he still carried Zangetsu with him on his back, he avoided using his power at all costs and would not do anything that could be considered Shinigami's duties. It was not only because he wished to keep a low profile, but it was also because he hadn't been able to make peace with the fact that it was his own power that ended his human life and forced him to come to Soul Society as a wandering soul.

It didn't mean that troubles would not come to find him, however. Wherever he went, there would always be some thugs coming after him. Perhaps it was because of his bright hair color and large sword that made all those thugs wanted a piece of him. But no matter what the reasons really were, Ichigo never stuck around to find out as he would move to a new district right after he got into a brawl with any local hoodlums, which usually meant that he never got to stay at any place for longer than a couple of days.

It took him give or take six months and a big brawl in the Eightieth District of South Rukongai which left him with several bruises, cuts and a few broken ribs that Ichigo finally realized that while the kind of life he had been leading since he arrived in Soul Society might be able to get his mind away from the grief that his death had caused, it was merely a distraction and did not truly solve any problems that he had.

It was dusk when he reached to the Eightieth District. He was greeted by some local mobs who tried to rob him even though all he had on him was just his ragged kimono and his large zanpakutō. Since giving up Zangetsu and marching around in his birthday suit were certainly not his options, Ichigo ended up in yet another brawl that started after the mobs said they would teach Ichigo's a lesson for defying them.

Although there were four men who tried to rob Ichigo at first, the fight escalated quickly after they realized Ichigo wasn't just another easy target that they could just rob and kill for fun and then those thugs called for help from their friends. Soon Ichigo had lost counted on how many thugs had come to gang up on him.

While he couldn't avoid all attacks that were launched at him all at once, Ichigo still managed to defeat all of those thugs. However, since some managed to get away before he could beat them down, Ichigo was certain those who got away would definitely go and gather more people to gang up on him in revenge. Therefore, he decided to retreat to a mountain nearby, hoping that they would not suspect that he would go up there.

Since Ichigo didn't expect to find anything on that mountain but trees, he was quite surprised when he saw a torii gate, which usually signified an entrance of a monastery. As he doubted any monks would be able to live in that district without being constantly harassed by the local gang, Ichigo was quite positive that the monastery would have already been abandoned. Yet even with the thought, he still followed the stone steps up the mountain. At the very least, he would still have a roof over his head as he rested and tended to his injuries.

Since it was quite a long way up to the top, by the time Ichigo reached there, the sun had already set. He wasn't sure if it was due to the distance he had to walk up the mountain or the injuries he received from the earlier fight, but he was almost out of breath when he got there.

Even though he couldn't see clearly in the dark, he could still tell that the place was not deteriorating away like some abandoned place should be. However, he didn't think too much about it as he walked straight to what was supposed to be the main hall of the monastery and sat down on its wooden porch. He then leaned on a wooden pillar and closed his eyes.

He could feel a warm summer breeze blew past his skin while he sat there on the porch. Since his focus was no longer on trying to get away from town, he started to feel throbbing pain in several places. He had certainly taken some beating, which made him wonder what he was really doing out there when he could have saved himself a lot of troubles and stay with Byakuya's ex-nanny where he would get three meals a day and wouldn't have to fight for his life every other day.

'If you are looking for a place to rest, young swordsman, perhaps it would be better for you to come to sleep in the sleeping quarters.'

The suggestion literally made Ichigo jump. He didn't expect anyone to be there, let alone appear just right behind him without any warning. The jump made Ichigo wince and grind his teeth before he subconsciously touched his rib in pain. He then turned around and found an old man whose head was shaved. The old man was wearing a black monk robe, which could only mean that he was a monk there.

'I...err... didn't mean to intrude,' Ichigo quickly said the first thing that came to mind although the monk had more or less invited him to stay in the monastery. 'I mean, aren't you afraid that I might come here with bad intentions?'

'Those with bad intentions wouldn't have asked that question,' said the monk. 'Besides, even if you do have bad intentions, I doubt you could do much in your current condition.'

Ichigo blinked. If anything, he had expected that anyone, even monks, who lived in such a lawless district would place their trusts in no one, much less a total stranger. Therefore, it surprised him that the monk didn't seem to be wary of him at all.

'Come in, young swordsman. I will see if we have anything for you to eat, and we should also do something about your injuries.'

Because he had spent his past six months in the mess that was Rukongai, Ichigo couldn't help being skeptical about the kindness that the monk who turned out to be the abbot of that monastery, Shōsan Ryōkan, had offered. However, his tiredness and his injuries forced him to accept the offer and stay at the monastery.

Initially, he didn't intend to stay there for too long; however, he ended up living there for almost one year. At first, it was because Ryōkan, had convinced him to stay until he was back to his full health. Then it was because Ichigo felt it would be wrong to just leave the monastery without doing anything in return for the kindness all the monks had offered, so he stayed to help them out with some manual labor like chopping wood, carrying water, cleaning the monastery and doing the gardening. And before Ichigo knew it, a month had passed, and because Ichigo could feel at ease there unlike at any other places he had been to in Rukongai; he decided to stay there as a student.

Other than the normal teachings any students would expect to receive from the monastery, Ryōkan also offered to teach Ichigo some lessons in controlling and mastering the power Ichigo had possessed within him. As it turned out, Ryōkan was a former Shinigami. Although the old abbot never said in specific about his rank or when he had served to Gotei 13; Ichigo could tell from the extensive knowledge that the old abbot had on spiritual powers, not only of Shinigami but also of Hollows and Quincy as well, that Ryōkan was not just some rank and file. However, Ichigo was not going to question the monk about it, since Ryōkan had said so himself that it was already in his past. All he needed to focus on was the lesson that the monk had taught him.

Although it had taken him almost a year, Ichigo eventually learned how to cope with his death and he had also learned how to make peace with his powers and even learned how to master it like he had never been able to before. However, since everything was already clear to him, he had to face with a difficult question - how he should proceed with his afterlife.

'Perhaps the only thing you can do now is returning to Seireitei so that you can know for sure whether you truly wish to be away from that world. After all, when you decided to leave that world behind, you made your decision when you were sad, angry and confused. Now, on the other hand, your mind is already clear, so you should be able to see things from a different perspective,' Ryōkan advised he decided to consult the monk after one long meditation session.

'But I'm afraid if I return there, I might not be able to come back here even if I want to, sensei,' Ichigo remembered himself replying to the abbot. 'You should have known better than anyone how the Gotei 13 operates.'

'If here is where your heart truly lies, you would find your way back even if they were to try to stop you,' the monk stated. 'However, if it is not, you would not be able to have a true peace of mind even if you were to stay and enter the monkhood. So go back down there, Ichigo. When you are certain that this is the kind of life that you truly want, you can always come back.'

Although he was somewhat reluctant to leave, Ichigo knew he had to go. While he really liked staying there in the monastery and had been able to feel more peaceful than he had ever felt anywhere in his life or afterlife, Ryōkan was right. He shouldn't keep hiding there because he was afraid to go back to the life that he had left behind.

One could say Ichigo was being cowardly about the way he chose to return to Seireitei, for instead of heading directly back as Kurosaki Ichigo and then announced his arrival to everyone he knew, Ichigo chose to apply to the Shinō Academy and used the lessons he had learned while he was at the monastery to suppress his spiritual power so that it would be in around the same amount as any other ordinary student. He then made use of an old, elaborate and perhaps also forbidden kidō trick, which he also learned from Ryōkan, to disguise the appearance of his zanpakutō and made its black blade appear as if it was his hair.

While he could have used the kidō to give himself any appearance that he wished - such as transforming into a cat like Yoruichi - he decided to keep that look, since he did not want to deceive anyone more than he might already have. At least with that disguise, he appeared like when he wore his spiritual power around himself in the Final Getsuga Tenshō form. It was true that it wasn't his best known appearance, since only Ichigo himself and Aizen Sōsuke had seen it; however, it still lessened the feeling of guilt he felt for deceiving everyone he had met in the Shinō Academy as Kurosaki.

As much as he hoped he could stay true to himself, he still needed some disguise to keep himself out of the limelight for long enough for him to learn what the Shinigami were truly made of and then decide whether he wanted to spend the rest of his life as one. For once, he wanted to learn things from the basic instead of fast forwarding through all lessons like he had done in his time as a Substitute Shinigami. And he doubted he would be able to do so if he were to come back as Kurosaki Ichigo, the hero of the Winter War and the Thousand Years Blood War.

Speaking of Kurosaki Ichigo, it surprised him how no one in the Shinō Academy ever made the connection between him and said hero. At first, he believed it was because Kurosaki wasn't really that unique as a name, but soon afterward he found out it was probably due to the fact Soul Society's history had been somewhat distorted from the truth.

According to Soul Society's history, the hero of those two wars was Shiba Ichigo, an heir to the Shiba Family, which was one of the Five Great Noble Houses. The name Kurosaki and the fact that he was not a full-fledged Shinigami were not recorded anywhere in history although in one occasion the lecturer did mention that people would call Shiba Ichigo by the nickname "Kurosaki" for the fact that his shihakushō looked similar to a black cape when he was in his bankai form.

Still, Ichigo doubted anyone would ever associate him with that Shiba Ichigo despite the nickname Kurosaki, because for all everyone knew, Kurosaki was just some Average Joe from Rukongai who didn't even know his full name, so there was no way that he could be compared to Shiba Ichigo who was a noble and a gifted Shinigami.

As Fujiwara had said after they learned a little about Shiba "Kurosaki" Ichigo, 'It's kinda makes you feel bad, right, Kurosaki? That your name is this Shiba Ichigo's nickname, but you're nowhere as great as he is.'

'I don't feel bad about it at all, Fujiwara,' Ichigo remembered himself replying. 'I wouldn't dream of being a Shiba. Besides, I kinda feel sorry for the guy, you know, for having such a girly name. I wonder what's going on in his parents' heads when they name a son Ichigo.'

'It's funny you should say that,' Fujiwara commented before she looked around and then lower her voiced as if she was about to say something conspiratorial, 'but you know what, Kurosaki? I think this Shiba Ichigo might actually be a girl and the higher-ups can't stand the fact that not only is she not an official member of the Gotei 13 but she's also a woman, so they just covered up the fact that she is a woman and put her name down in history as a man instead.'

Ichigo actually laughed at the comment, but as much as Fujiwara was right about history being rewritten by some higher-ups to cover some embarrassing facts; they did not go as far as to change his gender. They just covered up the fact that Kurosaki Ichigo was human and a Quincy descendant, and recorded his name down in history as Shiba, which was his father's family name before he married into the Kurosaki family.

For three years he had been in the Shinō Academy, never once had anyone suspected that he might be related to Shiba "Kurosaki" Ichigo. He managed to stay under the radar by never being extraordinary good or bad at any lessons. He never picked a class in which a Shinigami was a guest lecturer. To most of his teachers and classmates, he was forgettable like some wall flowers, and because of that he had never been selected to greet and welcome the Shinigami from the Gotei 13 that would come to inspect the teaching in the Shinō Academy from time to time.

He began to think that he would be able to graduate without being recognized. However, the thought was proven wrong on the first week of his fourth year in the Academy.

He and his best friend in the Shinō Academy, Fujiwara Saeko, had finished their advance kidō training and had decided to use the garden as a shortcut to get to the main lecture hall from the dojo they had trained at. Fujiwara had been rambling on about how they should hold a cherry blossom viewing party since the flowers were already in full bloom and she insisted that he had to join.

'I've already told you, Fujiwara, sakura viewing isn't something I enjoy doing,' he said as a way to reject her invitation.

'Yeah, yeah, I remember, but I still don't get why you don't like sakura viewing,' she replied, 'I mean, they're beautiful and they would only bloom for a short period.'

It wasn't that he did not like the cherry blossoms per se. However, ever since he was carved up by those tiny blades of Senbonzakura, he had not been able to look at cherry blossoms without being reminded of all the good and the bad memories that he shared with the wielder of said zanpakutō. And even the worst memory he had of them was still enough to make him question himself what he was doing there in the Shinō Academy when he should have gone to the Kuchiki Mansion and announced his return to the nobleman whether Byakuya would welcome it or not. However, since the reason he left Seireitei in the first place was to figure out what he wanted to do with his afterlife, it would not serve any purpose for him to return when he had yet to make his final decision. Therefore, he kept a low profile and never went to that mansion even though it would be so easy to get there from the Shinō Academy. And for those reasons, Ichigo couldn't find enjoyment in viewing the flowers.

'Let's just say something happened and I could never look at them in the same way ever since,' he replied to his friend.

They then kept on walking through the garden. He did not see Byakuya at first, since he was busy talking to Fujiwara and trying not to think too much about Byakuya. However, even if he had spotted Byakuya before, Ichigo still wouldn't have any other options but to continue walking to Byakuya's general direction, since he couldn't get to the lecture hall that was his destination without getting past the Shinigami, and it was clear to him that Byakuya had already spotted him and it would make the Shinigami suspect if he were to change his direction then.

He thought his feelings for Byakuya had calmed down quite a lot in the five years they had been apart, since he did not think of Byakuya as often as he had done before; however, his stomach still did a somersault at the moment he saw Byakuya standing right in front of him.

Ichigo wasn't sure if he wanted to be recognized by the noble because as much as he wished not to be recognized by anyone who had ever known him, it would certainly hurt if Byakuya truly could not recognize him.

In any case, Ichigo still froze on his spot the moment that his eyes locked with Byakuya's slate ones. His mind had gone completely blank that he couldn't quite keep up his act. He didn't even remember what he had spoken in reply to Fujiwara when she turned and said something to him.

Byakuya still looked the same as how Ichigo remembered him with his fair skin, silky black hair and sharp slate eyes. However, he was missing a certain glow about him. Looking at him then reminded Ichigo of Byakuya when they first met – a man who wore a cold and heartless mask to hide every burden that he bore by himself.

Ichigo wasn't sure what had happened to Byakuya during the five years they had been apart, or if the way he was then was a direct result of how Ichigo had left without a proper goodbye. He wondered how many questions Byakuya had had to answer, and how much trouble his sudden departure might have caused to the captain since Byakuya was the one who was responsible for bringing Ichigo to Soul Society. He didn't think about the consequences of his action or how it might have affected Byakuya. He only left because back then leaving was the only option he could think of.

He didn't have a clue whether Byakuya resented him for taking off without goodbye, and if he were to be honest, it was one of the reasons why he had not announced his return yet. It hadn't been easy to get on Byakuya's good side and he feared he might have destroyed what he had tried so hard to build.

However, all of anxieties and doubts suddenly went away with simple sentences from Byakuya although technically those sentences were spoken to Fujiwara who was also there with him – "I have not seen you in a while. How have you been?" and "I'm glad to see that you are doing well."

Those simple sentences made Ichigo's chest constrict and he felt like someone had tugged at his heartstrings. There were so many things that he wished he had said to Byakuya at that time, and he came so close to blowing his own disguise. However, as the way things were, he couldn't say those words. Not when he was a perfect stranger to Captain Kuchiki. Not when saying something would definitely mean he would break and forget his reasons for entering the Shinō Academy to begin with. It was the same feeling with the one that he had on that day when he left a note at Hanae's place before he set off on his journey, so he knew that if he said anything to Byakuya, he would not be able to keep up his disguise even if Byakuya were to let him.

Therefore, he saved those words in his heart and hoped for the best that Byakuya would understand why all he had done in response to the captain's words was giving Byakuya a small nod to let the man know that he had acknowledged that the words were meant for him. Then he continued on his way and left Byakuya there, not knowing when they would meet again.

It hurt more than it should have; because unlike the time when he left five years earlier, it was harder to let go when Byakuya was right there in front of him. They were so close, and yet still so very far. And once again it was still not the time for them.

After that brief encounter, his path had not crossed with Byakuya's again. He still heard the news about the captain from time to time, mostly from Fujiwara who probably sensed that he was interested in the subject although he never actually said anything about it. Before he knew it, two and a half year had passed and he was on the last semester of his sixth year in the Shinō Academy, making his final decision on whether or not he would join the Gotei 13.

"Hey, Kurosaki, if you really can't make your decision, you can just apply to all divisions and also to the Kidō Corps and the Onimitsukidō as well," said a familiar female voice. Ichigo didn't really need to look up to be able to tell that it was Fujiwara who made that comment. "I mean, we can never have too many options."

Ichigo tilted his head up before he raised an eyebrow at his friend. He didn't want to tell her that to him, it wasn't as difficult to choose which division to apply for as to decide whether or not he really wanted to join the Gotei 13.

"Some of us do have a standard, you know?"

"Well, your standard won't do anything if you aren't picked, Kurosaki," Fujiwara retorted.

"So which divisions have you applied to, Fujiwara?"

"Basically, everywhere aside from the Eleventh and the Twelfth Division," replied the woman.

"I see you're really serious about keeping your options open," Ichigo commented.

Fujiwara shrugged.

"Well, I would be picky if I was one of those top students, but I'm not, so forgive me for not having your so-called standard," she returned. "As it is, I'll be happy if I'm accepted into any of the divisions I've applied to. Anyway, that's enough about me. What about you, Kurosaki? How long are you gonna keep staring at that application form? Do you need to see the recruitment brochures to help you make up your mind which division you'd apply to? I'm sure I have them all somewhere."

"It's fine, Fujiwara. I don't need those brochures," Ichigo replied. He didn't lie. He had seen enough to know what each of the Gotei 13 division was like. "I've already known where I want to be."

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><p>Although he had walked that corridor several times before, he had never felt so stressful that he felt like throwing up. A few months had passed since the day he submitted his application form to the Gotei 13 under his full name. He had received an official letter of acceptance in just a few days afterward; however, he was not expected to report to duty until after he officially graduated from the Shinō Academy.<p>

It gave him long enough time to brace himself for all kind of reactions he might receive from everyone who knew him simply as Kurosaki. Because Ichigo had not allowed himself to get too close to anyone in the Shinō Academy, as he expected that there would be the day when Kurosaki would just disappear off the grid, either to return to the monastery in Rukongai or to return to the Gotei 13 as Kurosaki Ichigo; he only needed to explain himself to Fujiwara – who didn't believe him at first and then berated him for having deceived her for the whole time they knew each other. He couldn't blame her for being angry because he understood all too well what it felt like to be kept in the dark. However, it didn't take too long for Fujiwara to forgive him, saying that she had always sensed that there was something strange about him all along.

'At least now I know for sure that Shiba Ichigo really isn't a woman and why he seemed to have fallen off the grid right after the war,' she commented. 'Wait... does this mean I'll have to call you Shiba from now on? I mean, Shiba is your real name, right?'

'Actually, no. Shiba is, what should I call it... my crazy old man's maiden name? He changed his name to Kurosaki when he married my mom, so my family name is always Kurosaki.'

However, if he found it difficult to explain to Fujiwara why he opted to enter the Shinō Academy under a disguise; he didn't want to begin to imagine what kind of reaction he might receive from those who knew him as Kurosaki Ichigo.

While it was good for him to rid his disguise and reappear in his natural appearance with orange hair, brown eyes and a large zanpakutō which always stayed in its shikai form; Ichigo couldn't help feeling apprehensive as it had been a long time since he was truly himself.

He wasn't sure if his friends would have positive reactions upon seeing him again; for he had not made any efforts to contact them even though he had been in Seireitei in the past six years. Therefore, he could feel anxiety rising up with every step that he took closer to the door of the First Division.

Since running was no longer an option, he closed his eyes and took a couple of long deep breaths as a mean to calm his nerves. However, before he could push the double door open, he was greeted by a male voice that almost made him jump out of his skin.

"Ah, you're here already, Ichigo-kun, good, good!"

Ichigo quickly spun around and sighed softly when he realized it was Kyōraku.

Despite his position as the Captain Commander of the Gotei 13; Kyōraku still wore pink, flower-pattern kimono and that straw hat he always wore when he was the Captain of the Eighth Division. The only different in the man's appearance was the eye-patch that he wore over his right eye because he had lost that one eye in the Thousand Year Blood War.

"You scared me there, Kyōraku-san," Ichigo remarked. Then he furrowed his brows slightly and corrected himself, "um... I mean, Kyōraku-sōtaichō."

"That's fine, that's fine. You don't need to worry about formality with me, Ichigo-kun," Kyōraku said while waving his hand to show that he didn't really mind how he was called. "Now, there's really no need to be nervous. Everyone will be happy to see you again, so let's get inside, shall we?"

With that said, Kyōraku pushed the double door open and led Ichigo inside.

All captains and lieutenants had already stood in their respective spots although they were still exchanging a few words. However, as soon as Ichigo and Kyōraku appeared at the meeting room, the room had fallen into a complete silence for two whole seconds before Rukia broke the silence.

"Ichigo?! What the—"

Rukia didn't have a chance to finish her thought as Kyōraku clapped his hands twice, interrupting her and everyone else who might want to say something about Ichigo's sudden return.

"Order please," said Kyōraku as he walked to sit in his seat. Although he might not have the same scary vibe that the former Captain Commander had, he still managed to get everyone to remain quiet. "Now since everyone is already here, let's start with the first order of business today."

Not knowing where he should place himself, Ichigo awkwardly stood at the threshold, knowing that all eyes were on him, curious about the reason he was standing there.

"As all of you are well aware, the positions of the Lieutenant and Captain of the Eighth Division had been vacant because I couldn't find any qualified persons to fill those positions after Nanao-chan and I got transferred to the First Division," Kyōraku continued speaking as if he did not realize that all attentions were on Ichigo rather than on him. "Although Ichigo-kun here applied for a non-seat position in the First Division, I believe that with his skills and abilities, it would be more beneficial to the Gotei 13 if he were to be a seat officer. Therefore, I have appointed him to be the new Lieutenant of the Eighth Division. I hope you all will support my choice."

Everyone silently acknowledged the announcement and said nothing in objection. Not that Ichigo expected anything else, since no one in the room was actually in charge of the Eighth Division. If there were going to be any objections to such appointment at all, it should be from the members of the Eighth Division, since they were the one who actually had to work under his command.

"Well, then, is there anything you wish to say, Ichigo-kun?"

Ichigo blinked once as he didn't think he would be expected to give any speech. However, he still managed to say, "Hi, guys. It's been a long time, but I hope you will continue to treat me well."

With that said, Ichigo bowed his head slightly in form of greeting.

"Well, then, Ichigo-kun, you should go and stand between Renji-kun and Rangiku-chan. It will be your spot when you attend a meeting here from now on," Kyōraku remarked before he motioned his hand to his right, which was Ichigo's left, where the captains and the lieutenants from even-number divisions were standing in line.

Ichigo nodded. Since he didn't think it would be such a good idea to just walk down the aisle and then squeeze himself past the small space between Byakuya and Tōshirō, he just got to his spot by walking behind the line of lieutenants and then waited for Renji and Rangiku to make some space for him to stand. While doing so, Renji just patted him rather hard in the back as if to express his welcome.

Once Kyōraku saw that Ichigo was already at his position, he continued, "Now that that is settled, let's move on to the next order of business..."

* * *

><p>If Ichigo hadn't been told before that a captainlieutenant meeting was held once every two weeks, he would have thought Kyōraku called for the meeting solely to announce about Ichigo's admission to the Eighth Division because the meeting only last for less than an hour due to the fact that Soul Society and the World of the Living had been mostly peaceful.

"...since nobody has anything else to add, I'll close the meeting now. Thank you all for your attendant, and see you all in the next meeting," Kyōraku said, officially closing the meeting.

Seeing that the meeting was adjourned, the Captain and the Lieutenant of the Twelfth Division turned and quietly left the room without bothering to say anything to Ichigo, which was considered a good sign for Ichigo, since if they were to show any interests in him, it meant he would have to be worried about being turned into some sort of test subject.

The second group of people who departed the room without so much as acknowledging Ichigo was the Captain and Lieutenant of the Second Division, which was also expected, as he doubted Suì-Fēng would ever be interested in anyone who wasn't Yoruichi whereas Ōmaeda was probably only interested in himself.

But then again, it wasn't their reaction that got him all anxious. Ichigo was far more apprehensive when it came to the reaction that he might get from the nobleman who was standing right in front of him.

Byakuya turned. However, it was still possible for the man to simply leave without saying a single word to Ichigo, since he only made a ninety-degree turn and did not turn fully around to face Ichigo. Byakuya then turned his head slightly to Ichigo's direction, and for a brief moment there their eyes met. However, the moment ended all too soon when Renji suddenly threw an arm over Ichigo's shoulders in what felt more like a neck lock than anything else, causing Ichigo to turn to him and, as a result, break the eye contact with Byakuya.

The moment he turned his attention back to where Byakuya was, the man had already been on his way out of the room. However, as much as Ichigo wished he could follow Byakuya, he couldn't do so as Tōshirō, Unohana, Kotetsu, Komamura, Iba, Kira, Hinamori, Hisaki and Ukitake came to express their welcome and said their congratulations to him. Then he was being challenged to another death match by Kenpachi who didn't look so intimidating with Yachiru sitting on his shoulder. After that, he was being surrounded by Renji, Rukia, Rangiku, Hirako, Rose and Love who came to ask him where he had been, what he had been doing, why he hadn't tried to make any contact with them at all in the past seven and a half years, and more importantly, why he didn't choose to join their respective divisions.

Although Ichigo had done his best to answer all questions that were being shot at him all at once, his mind wasn't really in it. Because more than explaining himself to all friends who were surrounding him, he wished to explain himself to the man who left as if he didn't care for those explanations.

Ichigo began to think he wouldn't be able to get anywhere that day. However, after what felt like forever; Kyōraku interrupted their reunion and saved Ichigo from being grilled to death by his friends, claiming that he needed to take Ichigo to the Eighth Division and introduced him to everyone there.

* * *

><p>It was a little after eleven in the evening when Ichigo was finally left to his own devices.<p>

He had spent the whole day after the meeting being shown around the Eighth Division Compound and then introduced to most, if not all, of the division's members. Then after the work hour ended, he was immediately dragged out to what was dubbed as a welcome dinner by Rukia and Renji although the dinner felt more like an interrogation than a friendly gathering.

He couldn't blame them for wanting to know everything he had been up to. After all, he had disappeared for almost eight years, so it was only fair that they would be curious; and at the very least, they didn't seem angry that he hadn't tried to make any contact with them. If anything, they were a little hurt and very annoyed by the fact that he had chosen to shoulder whatever the troubles he had on his own when he could have come to them.

As Rukia summed it up while they were on their way to the Kuchiki Mansion to see Rukia home: "I don't know what your problems might have been, Ichigo, but even if you think you can't share them it us, you should've at least made a contact and let us know you're fine so we wouldn't have to be worried about you."

'I know, Rukia, and I'm sorry.'

Rukia sighed and rolled her eyes.

'You know what? Never mind. You're fine and that's what really matters. Though now that I think about it, I should've listened to nii-sama when he said we'd just be wasting our time searching for you.'

Ichigo raised an eyebrow and turned to Rukia who was walking between him and Renji.

'He said that?'

'To put it lightly,' was Renji's response. 'Trust me, Ichigo, you don't want to know taichō's exact words.'

Judging from the pity in Renji's red eyes when he looked at him, Ichigo didn't need to imagine how hash Byakuya might have delivered his actual words. However, since he trusted that Byakuya said whatever he had said just to make sure that Ichigo's wish not to be found would be honored, he simply laughed it off.

'Well, it wouldn't be the real Byakuya without his snide remarks, would it?' Ichigo commented. 'Speaking of Byakuya, is he going to be at the Kuchiki Mansion when we walk you there, Rukia?'

Rukia shook her head. 'I don't think so. Nii-sama usually stays at the Sixth Division on weekdays. Why?'

'Just curious,' Ichigo replied and said nothing more that might have given away his disappointment to learn that Byakuya wouldn't be at the Kuchiki Mansion that night because it meant that he wouldn't have a chance to talk to the man after he saw Rukia home just like that one time long ago.

After they saw Rukia home, Ichigo and Renji kept walking together until they reached to the front gate of the Sixth Division. As much as Ichigo wanted to get into the Sixth Division to see Byakuya, he decided not to do so at that time because aside from the fact that it would raise some suspicion from Renji, it was already late and he didn't think Byakuya would appreciate an unexpected visitor at that time of the night. Thus, Ichigo simply waved Renji goodbye and then continued to walk toward the Eighth Division Compound.

It was quiet in the Eighth Division when he got back, as he suspected most of his subordinates had already turned in for the night except for those who were on guard duty. He headed straight to the lieutenant quarters, accepting greetings from one of his subordinates who stood on guard at the front gate.

Because the lieutenant quarters was supposed to be private, he was quite surprised to see an outline of a person standing on the veranda. For a moment, Ichigo furrowed his brows, wondering if he went to the wrong billet, since none of the subordinates he met had mentioned about anyone waiting for him. But then his heart raced as soon as he came to realize just who was standing there.

Although the man had kept his spiritual power at its lowest and did not wear the white haori which would denote his captaincy over his kimono, the man's regal stance and the way the man's dark shoulder-length hair flicked softly in the cool breeze was still enough for Ichigo to identify him as Byakuya.

Before Ichigo knew it, his feet had already brought him to the porch just right in front of Byakuya, who turned to face him. There were so many words that he wished to say to the man; however, he didn't know where to start now that they were standing face to face and there was no other people there to interrupt them. All he managed to do was standing there, staring into the slate eyes which seemed black under the dim moonlight.

Byakuya held his gaze.

After what felt like forever, it was Byakuya who broke the silence.

"I'm sorry for turning up here uninvited. I hope my being here doesn't bother you too much."

"It's not a bother at all. I'm glad to see you, actually," Ichigo responded although he was still unsure of what he could or should expect from Byakuya's visit.

Byakuya wasn't a type of person who would do things on a whim. It was not his style to turn up at someone's place without an appointment, especially when it was in the middle of the night. He had to have some reason for being there. However, no matter how much Ichigo tried to figure out any logical reasons for Byakuya to be there at that time, he could not think of one – or at least not one that would not be just his own wishful thinking.

"Still I've gotta ask what's so important that you have to come all your way here in such an hour," Ichigo continued.

Byakuya had not broken the eye contact when he replied, "You are."

Ichigo blinked once at the answer. There was only one way for him to interpret that reply, and yet a part of him still dared not hope because if he hoped but it did not turn out in the way that he did, his heart would certainly break.

"What do you mean?"

Byakuya still gazed at Ichigo intensely.

"I mean exactly as I said," the captain replied. "I'm here because of you. I'm here because if I didn't, I might have missed my chance. And who knows? Even now it might have already been too late. So tell me, Ichigo, have I waited too long to come and find you?"

Ichigo didn't need any other clarification from Byakuya, since he already knew exactly what the man was talking about. The way Byakuya called his name and delivered his question was more than enough. And though he thought he should have been the one who spoke those lines to Byakuya rather than the other way around, he didn't need to spend any seconds to think before he replied:

"No, Byakuya, you haven't."

"No?" Byakuya repeated as if he wasn't sure if his ears had played a trick on him.

It was hard for Ichigo to believe that Byakuya – a proud man who could have anyone he wanted at his beck and call – had spent more than seven years waiting for his return and then practically dropped his pride to come and find him first, and yet he was still unsure about him.

"No," Ichigo confirmed.

Byakuya closed his eyes and sighed softly. Then he looked at Ichigo again, and for another moment, they held each other's gaze, transfixed.

Byakuya slowly reached his hand out. However, he stopped just before he actually touched the side of Ichigo's face.

"May I?"

Ichigo nodded, and he had given Byakuya a permission to do more than just cupping his cheek.

It would seem Byakuya was also aware of that fact, since he leaned in and pressed his lips against Ichigo's in a gentle kiss, to which Ichigo responded in kind. The kiss tasted like a sweet promise, although of what, Ichigo wasn't too sure.

The kiss broke after a moment although Byakuya's hand still lingered on Ichigo's cheek, and Ichigo didn't really mind.

"Would you like to come in?" Ichigo found himself asking.

"Yes, I'd love to.

And no other words needed to be said, for both of them knew from that moment on, it was finally the time for them.


	17. Forever and a Day

A/N: I'd like to thank you all for your continued supports for _Love Takes Time_ whether by means of reviewing, subscribing or adding to favorite or community lists. I planned to post this chapter sooner, but then I couldn't find the time to sit and actually type the story down due to personal and business trips I had in the past month. With that said, now it is time to bring this little series to its conclusion. Hopefully, you will find this last installment a satisfactory ending; but in any case, feel free to leave your thoughts and comments.

* * *

><p><em>17: Forever and a Day (Epilogue)<em>

Ichigo wiped his face with the back of his hand after he was done staining the last part of a wooden porch of a small traditional house which was located in an outskirt of Seireitei.

The house originally belonged to the Shiba Family; and before it was transferred to Ichigo, it was the only property that the family possessed in Seireitei, since the Shiba Family's main household always located in Rukongai. According to Kūkaku, the house was built to accommodate its members in case they needed to temporarily stay in Seireitei for some kind of business; however, it had not been used for that purpose since the Shiba Family had relinquished their noble titles and more or less cut their ties with Seireitei for decades.

When Ichigo first mentioned his intention to buy the house from the Shiba Family, Kūkaku wasn't sure why Ichigo would want it, seeing that the house was very run-down. In fact, considering the house's condition, it might be easier for Ichigo to demolish it and build a new one on the land. However, since the Shiba Family no longer had any use for the house and Ichigo was more or less a relative, Kūkaku sold the place and the land it was built on to Ichigo at a bargaining price.

After he had started renovating the house, Ichigo realized it would take a lot of time and effort to render the place livable. Ichigo believed the only reason he kept on renovating the house instead of tearing it down and building a new one in its place was because everyone said that it would be impossible to fix the house to its original state and that Ichigo was crazy to even consider that as an option. He supposed he was stubborn like that.

It had been hard work, and after all efforts he had put into the task, the house was still far from being beautiful. There was still a lot more work left to be done, like staining the front steps and furnishing the house; however, Ichigo was still proud of his handiwork so far.

Soft footsteps could be heard walking through long, dense vegetation that covered the front yard of Ichigo's house, reminding Ichigo that he would have to mow the vegetation away and then redesign the front yard at some point. Ichigo then looked to the direction of his visitor before he smiled when he saw that his visitor was none other than Byakuya.

Byakuya returned Ichigo's smile.

"I thought you might need some lunch," the noble remarked, raising what Ichigo perceived to be lunch boxes, wrapped and carried in furoshiki wrapping cloth, up for Ichigo to see.

"Hi, Byakuya. It's lunchtime already?" Ichigo asked before he looked up to the sky and realized that the sun was almost above his head, indicating that it was already close to midday. "I've just stained the whole porch, though, so we can't sit on it until it dries. We'll have to sit on the front steps instead."

"That's fine with me," Byakuya replied as he headed toward the front steps that Ichigo mentioned and then seated himself there.

Meanwhile, Ichigo quickly made his way to a bucket of water to wash his hand. He then untied a tasuki sash to let down the kimono sleeves that were tied up so that they wouldn't get in the way while he was staining the porch. After that, Ichigo walked to join Byakuya at the front steps.

Although there was more than enough space on the steps for the two of them to sit with some space from one another if they so wished, Ichigo still opted to sit down right beside Byakuya, barely leaving any room between them. And even though Ichigo was sitting so close to him that every slight move would make their shoulders brush against one another's, Byakuya didn't voice any complaint.

"So how did the clan council meeting go?" Ichigo asked as Byakuya gingerly unwrapped the cloth to reveal two lunch boxes. Although it would probably be more romantic to think that Byakuya had specially prepared lunch for the two of them, Ichigo knew the food was most definitely prepared by the head chef of the Kuchiki Household, since Ichigo knew for a fact that Byakuya wouldn't be able to cook even if his life depended on it.

Handing one lunch box to Ichigo, Byakuya replied, "It went much smoother than I anticipated, considering the main agenda."

"Oh? What's the agenda anyway?" Ichigo asked, somewhat curious. He carefully placed the lunch box on his lap before he removed the lid to see what kind of food had been prepared for him.

"To elect the twenty-ninth head of the clan."

Ichigo's hand froze just as he was about to put the lid of the lunch box away on the empty space to his right. He quickly turned his head to his left so that he could get a better look at Byakuya's expression, since the man sounded so nonchalant about the news as if it was just an everyday occurrence when in fact, it was the future of the Kuchiki Household.

"I beg a pardon?"

"The council agreed that we should name a person who would succeed me as the head of the family," Byakuya explained. "After a heated discussion, they went on and elected Kuchiki Itsuki, my second cousin twice removed, to be named as the heir. From now on, he would be trained to succeed my position."

Ichigo blinked once at that.

"Does that mean that your elders have finally come to terms with our relationship?"

Ichigo felt the need to ask because it had been clear to him ever since the day Byakuya introduced Ichigo to the clan council as his chosen life partner that Byakuya's elders did not approve of their relationship.

Even though the elders tried to hide that fact, Ichigo could still see the disapproval in the elders' eyes. Therefore, Ichigo was surprised that the elders didn't try to forbid Byakuya from continuing his relationship with Ichigo right out. Instead, they said nothing to oppose it at that time.

According to Byakuya, the elders didn't know what he and Ichigo had, nor did they know how long it had taken them to build their relationship. Therefore, the elders possibly thought that once the passion died down, both Byakuya and Ichigo would see that they had nothing in common and then come to their senses and break up without the council having to play the bad guys, so they decided to just humor Byakuya and Ichigo for the time being while patiently waiting for the relationship to crash and burn.

However, a year had passed since that day, yet the relationship between Ichigo and Byakuya was still going strong, if not even stronger than before. Therefore, Ichigo had to wonder if the elders had finally accepted their relationship and decided to name someone from the branch family as the heir because Ichigo and Byakuya wouldn't be able to produce them an heir even if they wanted to, or the elders were simply too tired of waiting for Byakuya and Ichigo to break up so they thought naming a new heir might have been able to make Byakuya reconsidered his own position.

"To be completely honest, I don't know," Byakuya replied frankly. "Though I suppose they've started to get used to the idea of us being together because when I declined their lunch invitation and told them I already had a plan with you, they didn't have that certain look they usually had on their faces whenever I mentioned your name in their presence."

"Well, at least they're now being neutral instead of disapproving," Ichigo said with a shrug, "and that's far more than I've ever hoped for."

Byakuya looked at Ichigo for a long moment before he noted, "I'm sorry you have to go through this."

"It's okay, Byakuya. I've known from the beginning that not everyone is going to be supportive. Hell, even Rukia had acted weird for weeks when she knew we were actually dating, and she had already known I had feelings for you since I was seventeen."

Byakuya chuckled at Ichigo's example.

"Rukia only acted weird because she wasn't sure how to treat you correctly. She said that deep down she knew she was supposed to treat my significant other with the same kind of respect she always showed me, but she couldn't quite do that when my partner happened to be you so she was conflicted because she always had an uncontrollable urge to kick you in the face just because."

Ichigo laughed at that.

"I know. Rukia told me that too," Ichigo remarked just before his expression turned back to its more serious look. "But anyway, my point is that I've known from the start that I can't expect everyone to simply smile and say congratulations. I knew the road ahead of us wouldn't be easy, but I still chose this path anyway and so far I have no regrets except for the fact that you have to be caught in the middle between me and your family."

"You are worth going through all the troubles for," Byakuya replied. "I just hope I could have done more for you."

Ichigo felt himself blushing slightly at Byakuya's words. Byakuya rarely uttered anything sentimental, so whenever he did, Ichigo knew the man actually meant what he said. He smiled before he shifted his position slightly and then leaned his head against Byakuya's shoulder. Ichigo then tilted his head slightly so that he could look into Byakuya's eyes.

"I have you, Byakuya, and that's more than enough for me."

Ichigo then offered Byakuya yet another tender smile, which Byakuya returned in kind before he leaned down and brushed a gentle kiss against Ichigo's temple.

"You know I really love you, Ichigo."

"I know," Ichigo replied, "and I love you, too."

They would have just sat there in that position for a lot longer had Ichigo's stomach not growled and reminded them that they had yet to have the lunch that Byakuya had brought for the two of them.

Byakuya laughed lightly at that while Ichigo just covered his embarrassment by giving Byakuya the trademark scowl that he had not worn in front of the older Shinigami in a long time.

"What? I've been working on the stain all morning, so I'm hungry."

"I didn't say anything," Byakuya replied although he was still smiling. "Anyway, since you're hungry, let's just eat, Ichigo. After we're done eating, we can work on this house a little more. I'll even help your mow your front yard."

Since Ichigo couldn't keep up his scowl for so long in front of Byakuya, he ended up laughing as well. Then they opened their respective lunch box and began to eat while continuing to exchange words, smiles and laughter.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, somewhere in Ichigo's inner world, the Hollow lay on his back with his hands crossed behind his head, looking up to the deep blue sky, enjoying the fact that the world had been pleasantly calm of late.<p>

When he first learned that his King's feeling for one Kuchiki Byakuya had finally been reciprocated, the Hollow had half expected the inner world to be turned into something completely corny and cheesy like a world with rose-colored sky, fluffy clouds, glittering rainbows with unicorns and butterflies. However, the world had never taken that turn. In fact, not much had changed aside from the fact that there had not been any dark clouds in the sky in the longest time and that the ground that was usually paved with cold, hard stone was replaced by a field of pink roses.

Reaching his hand out to pick one rose from the bush that was closest to where he lay, the Hollow then put the rose close to his nose and then breathed in its gentle, sweet scent.

"You seem to enjoy this new setting."

The comment came from right over his head, so the Hollow tilted his head just enough to see his lifelong companion, the old man Zangetsu and then smirked at the old man.

"It no longer rains on me without prior warning, so yeah," the Hollow replied. "I still don't get why pink roses, though. I mean, I'd get it if these flowers were sakura."

Zangetsu tilted his head slightly and then looked at the field of pink roses that extended all the way towards the horizon.

"I suppose it's because pink roses symbolize happiness?"

"Happiness, huh?" the Hollow repeated, looking carefully at the stem of rose in his hand. Then he shrugged. "Well, then, in that case, it kinda makes sense. I guess the King has chosen the right Queen, after all."

Zangetsu chuckled at that.

"Perhaps, but I don't think he would appreciate being referred to as such."

"You mean the Queen?" the Hollow asked. "I don't think he'd mind too much. I mean, it's not like it'd be the first time he hears me refer to him as joō."

Zangetsu shook his head.

"You know, after everything that has been said and done between Ichigo and Kuchiki Byakuya, I'm truly amazed they still manage to come to this point in their relationship."

The Hollow didn't say anything in response to Zangetsu's remark as he turned his attention back to the rose stem in his hand. The air between them was filled with silence for a long moment until the Hollow broke it by asking:

"Hey, old man, how long do you think this is gonna last?"

Zangetsu raised an eyebrow as he tried to figure out what the Hollow meant to ask.

"The rose?" Zangetsu wondered. "Probably just a few days. You've already picked it off the ground, after all."

The Hollow rolled his eyes.

"I'm not that stupid, old man. I know the rose won't stay fresh forever after it was picked. I was talking about the King and the Queen. How long do you think they're gonna be together?"

Zangetsu looked up into the blue sky and then back down to the field of roses. Seeing one more rose blooming right in front of his eyes, Zangetsu smiled.

"I don't know, Hollow," he said, "but if what I've seen so far is any indication, then I'd say forever and a day."

* * *

><p>The End<p> 


End file.
